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Where are Hong Kong’s golden age black & white film stars now? From Patrick Tse – Nicholas Tse’s dad – and Bowie Woo of Shaw Brothers Studio era, to Lui Kei who is low profile in Taiwan

Clockwise from top left: Lui Kei, Patrick Tse, Kenneth Tsang, Cheung Ying-choi, Bowie Woo and Chow Chung. Photo: Handout
Clockwise from top left: Lui Kei, Patrick Tse, Kenneth Tsang, Cheung Ying-choi, Bowie Woo and Chow Chung. Photo: Handout

  • Patrick Tse, the father of Canto-pop star Nicholas Tse, won his first ever best male actor trophy at the Hong Kong Film Awards for his role as a retired killer in 2021’s film Time
  • Bowie Woo, paired with Josephine Siao in many 1960s Cantonese musicals, still pops up on TV, while Chow Chung just took a photo with a district councillor distributing anti-Covid-19 kits

Last month’s death of Hong Kong actor Kenneth Tsang, whose career spanned five decades, saddened fans across the world. Tsang and other iconic Hong Kong stars have charmed audiences with their talent and charm, across boundaries, languages and eras.

While the superstars of the classic black and white Cantonese film era may now be in their 80s and 90s, some of them are still active in their profession. Let’s see what they are up to these days.

Kenneth Tsang in a still from 2011’s Overheard 2. Photo: Distribution Workshop
Kenneth Tsang in a still from 2011’s Overheard 2. Photo: Distribution Workshop

Patrick Tse – not in the shade

From left: Patrick Tse, Louis Cha, Nam Hung and Leung So-kam, the cast of 1960’s The Story of the Great Heroes. Photo: Courtesy Dr Louis Cha/Hong Kong Heritage Museum
From left: Patrick Tse, Louis Cha, Nam Hung and Leung So-kam, the cast of 1960’s The Story of the Great Heroes. Photo: Courtesy Dr Louis Cha/Hong Kong Heritage Museum
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To the younger generation, he may be known as the father of actor and singer Nicholas Tse, but Patrick Tse is indeed an icon in his own right.

Born in 1936, Tse went to acting school when he was 16 and has been in the industry since then, playing leading roles in films and joining TVB in 1978.

He has been constantly wearing sunglasses on screen since around 20 years ago, but in his latest movie Time from 2021, in which he plays a retired killer, we finally see him taking his shades off. The role landed Tse, who is now 85, his first ever best male actor win at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Bowie Woo – still dancing away

Celebrating his 90th birthday this year, Bowie Woo Fung has the nickname “Dance King Sau” under his belt thanks to his dancing skills, as demonstrated in many musical films from the 1960s in which he sang and danced along with Josephine Siao.

Bowie Woo celebrated his 90th birthday earlier this year. Photo: Weibo
Bowie Woo celebrated his 90th birthday earlier this year. Photo: Weibo

He is well respected in the industry, and his handprints and autograph are featured on the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.

In recent years, he has been more often seen in TVB drama series and variety shows than on the big screen, but occasionally, we can still get a glimpse of his superb dancing skills.

Chow Chung – almost 90, still energetic