Martial Artist Darren Shahlavi Has Passed Away

Very sad news: Mortal Kombat: Legacy actor and martial artist Darren Shahlavi was found dead in his apartment at the age of 42. His agent confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Shahlavi apparently died in his sleep and was found by his roommate on Jan. 14. The cause of his passing has not been disclosed. However, a law enforcement source reportedly told TMZ that it looks as though Shahlavi died due to apparent prescription medication overdose. The L.A. County Coroner is currently conducting a toxicology test to determine the official cause of death.

Over the course of his decades-long career in show business, Shahlavi—who began studying Judo at the age of 7 and went on to train in Shotokan Karate, boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai—appeared as a stuntman, martial artist, and actor in a number of movies and television shows. In addition to playing Kano in Mortal Kombat: Legacy, Shahlavi's credits include CW series Arrow, Robin Williams indie feature The Final Cut, Eddie Murphy movie I Spy, martial arts classic Bloodmoon, and Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster. His stunt work credits include Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol, Night at the Museum, Blade: Trinity, and The Chronicles of Riddick.