Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Passes Away, Divorced Wife, Sally Phillips After 30 Years, Had Three Children

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was a well-known actor, who was popularly known for his powerful screen presence. He was most commonly known for his unforgettable role as 'Shang Tsung' in Mortal Kombat. The legendary actor, who built a long career in Hollywood through his hard work, tragically passed away on December 4, 2025, at the age of 75. For the unversed, the heartbreaking news was confirmed by his family. 

While Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's film and television roles are known to everybody, not many know about his personal life. Even though, his personal life often grabbed attention for both good and bad reasons, do you know, Cary-Hiroyuki was a divorcee and had children? His tragic death has made fans wonder about his ex-wife, children and family. Read on to know all about it. 

Who was Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa?

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was a Japanese-born actor, who rose to fame by playing villainous characters in Hollywood. Talking about his early life, the actor was born on September 27, 1950, in Tokyo. Reportedly, his mother was a Japanese stage actress and his father was a Japanese-American who served in the U.S. Army. It is worth mentioning that Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa started his acting journey pretty late, at the age of 30. Apart from acting, he was also trained in martial arts. He worked with athletes and taught martial-arts.

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was married to Sally Phillips

Reportedly, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa met Sally Phillips in 1984. Sally is an artist from San Diego and the duo met through common friends. Soon, they became friends and started their long relationship. Later, the two got married and lived together for almost three decades. If reports are to be believed, the two lived in Hawaii, away from public attention. 

In the three decades of their marriage, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and Sally Phillips had three children, one son, Calen Tagawa and two daughters, Brynne Tagawa and Cana Tagawa. Reportedly, Calen is involved in music and creative production and has also collaborated with his father. Their second child, Brynne is allegedly interested in art like her mother. On the other hand, their third daughter, Cana has maintained a private life. 

However, in 2014, Tagawa and Sally started facing issues and parted ways. The ex-couple was very private about their divorce and not much information about the same is available online. Reportedly, after the divorce, Sally kept working as an artist and reportedly taught art. On the other hand, Cary continued acting. Their children also remained busy in their respective careers. 

How did Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa die?

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa passed away on December 4, 2025, at the age of 75, in the presence of his family and loved ones. In a conversation with Deadline, Cary's family has disclosed the heartbreaking news and confirmed that the actor passed away due to complications from a stroke. The family also shared that Cary was given the best medical help, but he still couldn't survive the complications. 

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa’s acting journey

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa had a strong and respected career in films and television. He began his career in the mid-1980s, with small role on TV and films. However, his breakthrough came in 1987, with the historical film, The Last Emperor, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. After his powerful performance in the same, Cary went on to appear in films like Licence to Kill, Showdown in Little Tokyo, Rising Sun and more. He rose to global recognition with Mortal Kombat. 

Later, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa worked in Hollywood films like Pearl Harbor, Memoirs of a Geisha, Tekken and Planet of the Apes. Apart from films, he appeared in TV shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Baywatch, Revenge, Hawaii Five-0 and more. It is worth mentioning that Cary has also lent his voice to animation films and video games. Even though, he started acting in his 30s, Cary was one of the most celebrated Hollywood actors. His death has definitely ended an era.

What are your thoughts on Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa’s ex-wife, Sally Phillips and their three children? Let us know.

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