Kenneth Tsang’s most memorable career milestones: the late Hong Kong icon appeared in over 200 films and TV shows, from John Woo’s action films to TVB wuxia dramas, and even a James Bond flick
- Tsang, who just passed away at age 87, worked with some of the biggest celebrities in Hong Kong cinema, from Jackie Chan and Wong Kar-wai, to Chow Yun-fat and Leslie Cheung
- Despite being excluded from nominations for this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards, the legendary actor will always be known for his terrific performances as on-screen villains
One of Hong Kong’s most prolific actors, Kenneth Tsang, passed away on Wednesday, April 27, at the age of 87. Having been in over 200 films and television shows in a career that spanned nearly seven decades, it’s hard to pinpoint just a few memorable performances by the late actor. He was excellent at playing villains and found success in Hollywood as well as being one of Hong Kong’s top stars.
But looking back over his career reveals certain milestones that cemented his status as one of the original members of Hong Kong’s film industry in its golden years. Here are a few worth noting.
The Cantonese film era
Tsang began his showbiz career as a contract actor for Shaw Brothers and Cathay Organisation. In the 1960s alone, he acted in almost a hundred films, appearing with iconic starlets like Suet Nay, Pauline Chan and Nancy Siu.
In Lung Kong’s 1969 social drama Teddy Girls, Tsang played the head of a girls’ reformatory who tried to bring troubled young women back to the straight and narrow. In the final scene, Tsang’s character brings the film’s messages home with a long, didactic monologue detailing all the societal ills that send young women on a wayward path. Playing an upright mentor in a wild story about bad behaviour, Tsang brought a sense of dignity to the film.
The films of John Woo
In both A Better Tomorrow and its sequel, Tsang played the tough, but kind-hearted taxi firm owner who takes in a reformed prisoner (played by Ti Lung) when no one else would. In 1989’s The Killer, he played the partner of Danny Lee’s detective character.
