The world of action films lost an important figure this week, as actor and producer Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa passed away on Thursday in Santa Barbara. According to Deadline, Tagawa passed away due to complications from a stroke. The 75-year-old actor was best known for his role as antagonist Shang Tsung in the live-action adaptation of the action game Mortal Kombat. With a career spanning over four decades, Tagawa became synonymous with overpowered villains and also with the franchises he helped take to the next level. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO Apart from his menacing role as Shang Tsung, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was also known for his roles in films like the Tekken series, where he played the character of Heihachi Hishima, the man who started the famed tournament. He also appeared in films like John Glen’s 007 flick Licence to Kill (1989), Rob Marshall’s Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) and Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor (1987). ALSO READ: After Quentin Tarantino’s ‘weakest actor’ remark about Paul Dano, Batman writer and Shang Chi star rush in to defend him …