People

HK Veteran Actor Ng Man Tat Passes Away At 70, He Appeared In 26 Stephen Chow Films

Ng Man Tat Started Acting Career In 1973, Formed Legendary Partnership With Stephen Chow

Now that we have a wealth of entertainment options at home, some might not see the need to watch a movie in the cinema any more.

But those of us who’re, ahem, of a certain vintage may remember the good old Hong Kong slapstick comedies of the 1990s and 2000s.

If you enjoyed watching them, especially during Chinese New Year, you would recognise the face of Ng Man Tat (吴孟达), who was a regular in these shows.

Source

He usually appeared on screen with acting partner Stephen Chow.

But we won’t see the duo together again as Ng has sadly passed away, aged 70.

Ng was diagnosed with liver cancer

Earlier this week, 8 Days reported that the HK actor had been diagnosed with liver cancer.

Source

Apparently, actor Tin Kai Man (田启文), a good friend of Ng’s told the Ming Pao Daily News that the diagnosis was made last year.

When he heard about it, Ng had already undergone surgery and was on chemotherapy.

 

That wasn’t the 1st report of Ng’s ill health. Earlier this month, a video of him clutching his chest in pain during a photo shoot made its rounds over social media.

Source

It sparked concern that he might have suffered a heart attack.

He passed away in his sleep

Unfortunately, his health problems seemed to have caught up with him, as Tin told the media on Saturday (27 Feb) that Ng had passed away at 5.16pm at the Union Hospital in Hong Kong.

At least he was at peace, as he passed in his sleep after doctors prescribed medicine to ease his pain, according to 8 Days.

Source

His wife, children and siblings were by his side.

Started acting career in 1973

According to Lianhe Zaobao, Ng had been acting for 48 years, as he made his debut in 1973 at the tender age of 22.

A young Ng Man Tat.
Source

From there, he ended up acting with many famous actors, including Chow Yun Fat.

Source

He also famously acted with Heavenly King Andy Lau in 1990 film “A Moment Of Romance” (天若有情).

Source

For his work in that movie, Ng won his only Best Supporting Actor award at the 10th Hong Kong Film Awards.

Became a regular in Stephen Chow comedies

But Ng’s most famous collaborator was Stephen Chow, who casted him regularly in his trademark slapstick comedies.

Source

The duo would go on to star in 26 movies and 3 TV serials together, and formed a firm friendship.

Source

Some of the best-known movies they starred in together are 1991’s “Fight Back To School” (逃学威龙), 1996’s “The God of Cookery” (食神) and 1999’s “King of Comedy” (喜剧之王).

Source

Their last movie together was 2001’s “Shaolin Soccer” (少林足球).

Thereafter, Chow started making films less frequently, and there were reports that the duo had fallen out.

Chow reportedly very sad

When Chow heard the news of Ng’s death, he was very sad, reported Sina.com.

When he 1st heard of his cancer diagnosis earlier this week, he reached out to Tin asking if he could help in any way, 8 Days reported.

Now that his old friend is dead, Chow has said that he can’t accept it.

Source

After all, the 2 were old friends and acting partners for many years, he added.

According to Tin, Chow’s sister had visited Ng on his behalf.

Source

Although Ng had previously admitted that the pair weren’t as close as before, Chow did invite him to appear in his 2016 movie “The Mermaid” (美人鱼), but he couldn’t do so due to poor health.

His legacy will be in our smiles

Now that Ng has sadly passed, his legacy will be in the smiles he put on our faces as we watched his films.

Source

He might not have been a frequent leading man, but we’re sure those who’ve seen his movies will know that his performances were just as enjoyable. These movies definitely wouldn’t have been the same without him.

MS News sends our condolences to Ng Man Tat’s family, friends and fans. He’ll live on in their memories, and will always be remembered as one of the cinema greats.

Source

Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at hello@mustsharenews.com.

Featured images from Facebook and Weibo.

Jeremy Lee

Analog person making do with a digital world.

Recent Posts

M’sia Airlines grounds new Airbus just days after maiden flight, cites technical issues

The brand-new jet suffered a series of technical issues since its first-ever flight on 19…

23 Dec 2024, 6:17 pm

Family in S’pore finds snake on side view mirror mid-drive, netizens quip ‘Snake Year is coming’

The Paradise Tree Snake may have misjudged its landing and ended up on the car.

23 Dec 2024, 4:48 pm

69-year-old man dies after fight with 71-year-old neighbour over bumping into each other

The 69-year-old was reportedly upset over his neighbour's refusal to apologise.

23 Dec 2024, 4:33 pm

Bloomberg issued POFMA order over S’pore GCB transactions article, Govt addresses ‘falsehoods’

False claims include that GCB transactions occur without government checks on beneficial owners' identities.

23 Dec 2024, 3:35 pm

Woman set on fire aboard New York subway train, suspect allegedly watches her burn

The suspect casually watched as the woman became consumed by flames.

23 Dec 2024, 3:14 pm

Elderly man pickpocketed on bus from JB to S’pore, loses S$450 & has S$800 charged to credit card

The thief left the wallet and more than RM200 behind, presumably to mislead the 72-year-old…

23 Dec 2024, 1:38 pm