In Memoriam: Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa aka Kwang in “Licence to Kill”

Actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (born on 27th of September 1950 in Higashi-Azabu, Tokyo, Japan) has passed away on 4th of December 2025 in Santa Barbara, California, USA. Bond World knows him as undercover agent Kwang of the Hong Kong Narcotics Board who investigates drug lord Franz Sanchez‘s (Robert Davi) operations in Isthmus in “Licence to Kill” (1989).

When a vengeful James Bond tries to kill Sanchez, Loti (Diana Lee-Hsu) and another ninja knock the spy unconscious. They take Bond to their safe house for questioning. Kwang furiously dresses down the rogue agent for jeopardising their entire effort. Fallon (Christopher Neame), their MI6 contact tries to sedate Bond, but Colonel Heller (Don Stroud), Sanchez’s chief of operations, attacks the house, killing the contact and the ninja. Kwang tells Loti to fight back so they don’t take her alive, but she only manages to kill two soldiers before being easily shot by Heller. Kwang bites into a cyanide capsule, killing himself, rather than face Sanchez’s wrath and Sanchez shoots his body in frustration. (jamebondfandom.com)

Tagawa’s other acting credits include e.g. “Rising Sun” (1993) with Sean Connery, “Mortal Kombat” (1995) and “Planet of the Apes” (2001)

Thinking of his family and friends during this difficult time.