Japanese actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, known for his roles in the films Last Emperor, Pearl Harbor or Mortal Kombatdied at the age of 73, due to complications resulting from a stroke, according to a statement from his manager, Margie Weiner.
Based in Santa Barbara, California, Tagawa began to be known in cinema in 1987 for his role in The Last Emperoran Oscar-winning film by Bernardo Bertolucci.
After that, he stood out in other hugely successful films, such as Pearl Harbor, Planet of the Apes e 007 – License to Kill. He also starred in several television series such as Miami Vice, MacGyver or The Man in the High Castle.
“Cary was a rare soul: generous, thoughtful and infinitely dedicated to his art. His loss is immeasurable”, says the statement from his manager.
Tagawa was born in Tokyo, Japan, but was raised in the southern United States, at a time when his father, born in Hawaii, was stationed there on American Army bases.
Tagawa’s father had met his mother while serving in the military in Japan and they named him Cary in honor of Cary Grant.
Ayako, Tagawa’s mother, was a theater actress in Japan and asked her son not to pursue an acting career because there weren’t many good roles for Asians, something that Carey ended up not pursuing, since at the age of 36 he started that career, after having been a farmer, limousine and truck driver, and also a photo reporter.