Fans pay tribute to late Hong Kong drama actor Gregory Charles Rivers, days after his suspected suicide
- Australian actor, who was famous for fluency in Cantonese and appeared in more than 200 Hong Kong TV dramas, found dead at home on Friday
- Country’s top diplomat in Hong Kong and local dog shelter lead tributes to actor, calling performer ‘a genuinely lovely man’
Tributes to the late Australian actor Gregory Charles Rivers poured in over the weekend after the Hong Kong TV drama star was found dead in a suspected suicide at his home in Clear Water Bay on Friday.
Police discovered his body near a tray of burning charcoal at his house in Tai Au Mun Village, after receiving a report from his family. No suicide note was found at the scene. He was 58.
Hundreds of fans took to social media to express their grief on Saturday and Sunday, posting tributes to the star on his Facebook page.
Gareth Williams, Australia’s consul general in Hong Kong and Macau, was among those who expressed sadness at learning of Rivers’ death.
“Born in Gympie, Queensland, Rivers moved to HK in 1988 and went on to become one of the best-known Cantonese-speaking foreign actors in Hong Kong television,” he wrote. “My sincere condolences to Rivers’ family and many friends.”
Less than 40 years ago, Rivers bought a one-way ticket to Hong Kong to work as an English teacher. He met his wife, Bonnie Cheung, in the city and later secured a contract with TVB, the leading local free television broadcaster, to act in a drama series.
Renowned among local audiences for his fluency in Cantonese, the actor appeared in more than 200 soap operas in roles that ranged from high-ranking police officers to foreign ambassadors.
