Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

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Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa got his first big break as an actor when he was cast in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor (1987). A US Army brat, he was born in Tokyo and lived in various cities while growing up. His father was in the army, stationed at Ft. Bragg (NC), Ft. Polk (LA) and Ft. Hood (TX). His mother was an actress from Tokyo. The family finally settled in Southern California, where Tagawa began acting in high school. He was an exchange student in Japan while studying at the University of Southern California.

Early life

Tagawa was born in Tokyo, Japan, the son of Japanese Takarazuka actress Mariko Hata and a Japanese-American father who served in the United States Army and was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Polk, Louisiana; and Fort Hood, Texas. His mother tongues are English and Japanese but he also speaks some Korean and Spanish.

Tagawa was raised in various cities. His family finally settled in Southern California, where he began acting in high school while attending Duarte High School. He attended the University of Southern California and was an exchange student in Japan. He studied kendo and Shotokan karate under Masatoshi Nakayama at the Japan Karate Association.

His breakthrough as an actor came when he was cast as the Eunuch Chang in The Last Emperor (1987). In 1989, he played an undercover agent of the Hong Kong Narcotics Board in the James Bond film Licence to Kill. In 1991, he starred alongside Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee in the action film Showdown in Little Tokyo, where he played the role of Yakuza boss Yoshida. He also starred alongside James Hong and Jeff Speakman in the same year in the film The Perfect Weapon, where he played Kai, an assistant to the Korean mafia families.

In 1993, he starred as the wayward scion of a Japanese industrialist in Rising Sun, where Sean Connery, Wesley Snipes, and Harvey Keitel played detectives holding various viewpoints about the murder of a young woman that Tagawa's character was being framed for.

He appeared in the film Mortal Kombat (Movie) (1995) as the sorcerer Shang Tsung; he reprised the role in the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy in 2013, and in the video game Mortal Kombat 11 in 2019. He also appeared as the deadly pirate leader Kabai Sengh in The Phantom (1996). Tagawa is among the actors, producers and directors interviewed in the documentary The Slanted Screen (2006), directed by Jeff Adachi, about the representation of Asian and Asian-American men in Hollywood.

Tagawa played Heihachi Mishima in {:Category: Tekken|Tekken]], the film adaptation of the video game franchise. In 2006, he provided the voice of Brushogun in Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo. He was in the film Johnny Tsunami (1999) and its sequel Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board (2007). In between those two films, Tagawa played Attar's mentor Krull in Tim Burton's version of Planet of the Apes (2001).

He played Satoshi Takeda in Revenge, a powerful CEO in Japan and Emily Thorne's former mentor in her quest for revenge. In season 2, Tagawa took over the role from Hiroyuki Sanada, who was unable to continue due to scheduling conflicts.

Tagawa also plays the role of Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi in the 2013 film 47 Ronin.

In 2015, Tagawa was cast as one of the lead characters, Nobusuke Tagomi, the Trade Minister of the Pacific States of America in Amazon's The Man in the High Castle based on Philip K. Dick's novel of the same name. Also in November 2015, both he and Taimak (The Last Dragon) were honorees for the Fists of Legends Legacy Award at the Urban Action Showcase & Expo.


Appearances

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1986 Big Trouble in Little China Wing Kong Swordsman Uncredited
Armed Response (1986 film) Toshi
1987 The Last Emperor Chang
1988 Bulletproof (1988 film) Thug In Flashback Uncredited
Spellbinder (film) Lieutenant Lee
Twins Oriental Man
1989 The Last Warrior Imperial Marine
Licence to Kill Kwang
1991 Kickboxer 2 Sanga
Showdown in Little Tokyo Funekei Yoshida
The Perfect Weapon (1991 film) Kai
1992 Nemesis (1992 film) Angie-Liv
American Me 'El Japo'
1993 Rising Sun (Movie) Eddie Sakamura
1994 Natural Causes Major Somchal
Picture Bride (film) Kanzuki
1995 The Dangerous Kon
Mortal Kombat (Movie) Shang Tsung
Soldier Boyz Vinh Moc
1996 White Tiger Victor Chow
The Phantom (1996 film) The Great Kabai Sengh
Danger Zone (1996 film) Monsieur Chang
1997 Top of the World (1997 film) Captain Hefter
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation Shang Tsung Archive footage
1998 Vampires (1998 film) David Deyo
Provocateur (film) Captain Jong
American Dragons Matsuyama
1999 Bridge of Dragons General Ruechang
Fixations Alex
Snow Falling on Cedars (Movie) Zenhichi Miyamoto
2000 The Art of War (film) David Chan
2001 Pearl Harbor (film) Commander Minoru Genda
Planet of the Apes (2001 film) Krull
2005 Elektra (2005 film) Master Roshi
Memoirs of a Geisha (film) The Baron
2006 The Slanted Screen Himself Documentary film
Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo Brushogan (voice)
2007 Balls of Fury Mysterious Asian Man
Blizhniy Boy: The Ultimate Fighter Alibek
2008 Lost Warrior: Left Behind Detective Yoshide Video
Bodyguard: A New Beginning Kai
2009 By the Will of Chingis Khan Bodyguard
Hachi: A Dog's Tale Ken
Tekken Heihachi Mishima
[[The Tomb (2009 film) Len Burris
2012 Black Cobra Goro Tanaka Video
2013 47 Ronin (2013 film) Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi
2014 Hype Nation 3D Sammy Kata
Priest-San Father Nikolai 'Takuro' Nakamura
Ninja Apocalypse Fumitaka
Tekken 2: Kazuya's Revenge Heihachi Mishima
Skin Trade (film) Senator Khat
2015 Junction Narrator (voice)
The Man with the Iron Fists 2 The Mayor
Little Boy (film) Hashimoto
2016 Showdown in Manila Aldric Cole
Beyond the Game Detective Yoshida
Kubo and the Two Strings Hashi (voice)
2017 The Whole World at Our Feet Khazar
2023 Reagan Yasuhiro Nakasone Filming
Duel of Legends Sting

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1987 MacGyver (1985 TV series) Asian Buyer Episode: "Dalton, Jack of Spies"
The Colbys Mr. Sung Episode: "Devil's Advocate"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Mandarin Bailiff Episode: "Encounter at Farpoint"
1987–89 Miami Vice Kenji Fujitsu, Tegoro Episode: "The Rising Sun of Death" & "Asian Cut"
1988 Hotel (U.S. TV series) Inspector Chin Episode: "Double Take"
1989 L.A. Takedown Hugh Denny Television film
Superboy (TV series) Detective Jed Slade Episode: "Terror from the Blue"
Knots Landing Mr. Toyo Episode: "Giganticus II: The Revenge"
Moonlighting (TV series) Artist Episode: "Perfetc"
A Peaceable Kingdom Coach Episode: "Chimp"
Alien Nation (1989 TV series) Yamato Episode: "The First Cigar"
Mission: Impossible (1988 TV series) Vang Kai Episode: "Countdown"
1990 Jake and the Fatman Raymond Char Episode: "Chinatown, My Chinatown"
Hardball (1989 TV series) Episode: "Wedding Bell Blues"
The Bakery Kim Lee Television film
Vestige of Honor Thai Major
1991 Baywatch Mason Sato Episode: "War of Nerves"
Not of This World Shikido Television film
Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis Shoji Hashimoto
1992 Raven (1992 TV series) Osato Episodes: "Return of the Black Dragon" and "Reunion"
1993 Renegade (TV series) Hirotaka Episode: "Samurai"
1993–94 Space Rangers (TV series) Zylyn 6 episodes
1994 Day of Reckoning Prakit Television film
1995 Babylon 5 Morishi Episode: Convictions (Babylon 5)
Thunder in Paradise 3 Mason Lee Television film
1996 Cybill Kenji Episode: "Cybill and Maryann Go to Japan"
Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 TV series) Tai Wei Tse Episode: "Sweet & Sour Victory"
1996–97 Nash Bridges Lieutenant A.J. Shimamura 12 episodes
1997 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child King Young-Jin Episode: "The Little Mermaid"
Raven: Return of the Black Dragon Osato Television film
Stargate SG-1 Turghan Episode: "Emancipation"
1998 Poltergeist: The Legacy Sam Tanaka Episode: "The Internment"
Vengeance Unlimited Aung Myint Episode: "Ambition"
1999 Seven Days (TV series) Peter Episode: "Walter"
Johnny Tsunami Johnny Tsunami Television film
NetForce (film) Leong Cheng
2000 Walker, Texas Ranger Master Ko Episode: "Black Dragons"
2003 Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding Mason Sato Television film
2004 Hawaii Captain Terry Harada
2005 Faith of My Fathers (film) Cat Television film
2007 Heroes (U.S. TV series) The Swordsmith Episodes: "Chapter Six 'The Line'" and "Chapter Seven 'Out of Time'"
Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board Johnny Tsunami Television film
2008 Ghost Voyage The Steward
2009 Beyond the Break Xander Episodes: "One 'Elle' of a Party" and "Cast Away"
2010 Hawaii Five-0 (2010 TV series) Hiro Noshimori Episodes: "Ke Kinohi" and "Pahele"
2012–13 Revenge (TV series) Satoshi Takeda 6 episodes
2014 Teen Wolf (2011 TV series) Katashi / Silverfinger Episode: "Silverfinger"
The Librarians (2014 TV series) Mr. Drake Episode: "And the Apple of Discord"
2015–2018 The Man in the High Castle (TV series) Nobusuke Tagomi Main cast
2016 Grimm Takeshi Himura Episode: "Inugami"
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 TV series) Sumo Kuma (voice) Episodes: "Yojimbo" and "Kagayake! Kintaro"
2017 Star Wars Rebels Alrich Wren (voice) 2 episodes
2018 Lost in Space (2018 TV series) Hiroki Watanabe 5 episodes
2020 DuckTales (2017 TV series) Akita (voice) 1 episode: "Astro B.O.Y.D.!"
2021 Star Wars: Visions Valco (voice) Short film: The Village Bride
2021 NCIS: Los Angeles Craig Tanaka Episode: "Fukushu"