Ng Man-tat

Ng Man-tat was born on January 2, 1952, in Xiamen, Fujian Province, and moved to Hong Kong with his family in childhood. In 1973, he secretly auditioned and was admitted to TVB’s 3rd Artiste Training Class. After graduating, he became a contract actor at the station, one of only seven of the 22 graduates that year to receive a salary and formal contract.

In his early career he appeared in a number of television dramas, including Li Han-hsiang’s 1976 production The Tears of Ying Tai (瀛台泣血) and TVB’s series Folk Legends (民间传奇). In 1979 he played the role of Hu Tiehua in the period drama The Legend of Chu Liuxiang (楚留香传奇), which brought him growing attention. However, because of a gambling addiction he accumulated HK$300,000 in gambling debts, went bankrupt overnight, and was subsequently sidelined by TVB.

To pay off his debts he began taking bit parts, studying his craft intensely and reading his lines hundreds of times, gradually building a reputation as a reliable supporting actor. In 1981 his starring TV series The Rascal Emperor (流氓皇帝) aired and he began to be favored by production teams. That same year his first film, The Enforcer (执法者), was released, marking his formal entry into the movie industry.

Through the 1980s his influence in the entertainment world expanded. In 1985 he played an instructor in the TV series The New Recruit (新扎师兄), gaining wider public recognition. With strong performances in many films, he became an important and sought-after supporting actor in Hong Kong cinema. His collaborations with Stephen Chow (周星驰) in classic films such as All for the Winner (赌圣, 1990) and A Chinese Odyssey (大话西游, 1995) were especially famous, and the pair were often called a “golden duo.”

In the 2000s Ng remained active in film and television and received multiple nominations and awards. In 2006 he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a television series for the Taiwanese drama White Tower (白色巨塔). In 2014 he earned Best Supporting Actor nominations at both the Golden Horse Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards for the film Renjian Xiao Tuanyuan (人间小团圆).

Ng’s career spanned television, film and variety shows, with a large body of work that included the 2019 sci-fi film The Wandering Earth (流浪地球) and the 2021 film Chang’an Monster Hunt (长安伏妖). He was known for rich characterizations and excellent acting, winning recognition from both the industry and audiences.

In his personal life Ng was married twice and had several children. He was diagnosed with diabetes in 2000 and was hospitalized multiple times later for heart failure. In 2021 he was diagnosed with liver cancer; his condition worsened and he died on February 27, 2021, at Ruttonjee Hospital in Hong Kong at the age of 69. His last Weibo post, “I am Chinese” (我是中国人), reflected his patriotism. His death prompted widespread mourning, and he is remembered as an iconic figure in Hong Kong cinema.