Hong Kong action star Leung Siu Lung dies aged 77

Hong Kong martial arts star Leung Siu Lung has died on Jan 14 at the age of 77.

The news was confirmed by Hong Kong media through his friend, who also shared that Siu Lung’s family is currently handling his afterlife matters, with his funeral tentatively scheduled to be held on Jan 26 in Shenzhen. He reportedly died of cardiac failure.

Siu Lung debuted in Hong Kong showbiz in the 1970s, appearing mostly in martial arts films and dramas. He was known as one of the four ‘dragons’ in Hong Kong, alongside Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Ti Lung.

Over the years, he played many iconic characters, including Chen Zhen in Hong Kong dramas Legendary Fok (1981) and The Fist (1982), and toad-style kung fu master the Beast in Stephen Chow’s action-comedy film Kung Fu Hustle (2004).

In recent years, he was mostly active in creating content on Douyin and went viral in 2023 after sharing about rejecting Stephen three times to appear in Kung Fu Hustle and their salary disagreements.

Hong Kong media reported that on Jan 13, he was still seen enjoying lamb hotpot at a gathering and looked to be in good spirits.

Siu Lung’s Douyin account continued to be updated with multiple videos daily even after his death, which his disciples explained in a post yesterday (Jan 18).

The caption reads: “I went to a faraway place to film a movie. Please forgive me for not bidding you farewell, just assume that I have gone away for filming. I wanted to keep this a secret, so my disciples have been uploading videos regularly [on my account].

“I like to maintain a sense of mystery. Please live well on my behalf. Love is always here and remember I love you all.”

Jackie and Stephen paid tribute to Siu Lung on their social media accounts yesterday.

Jackie, 71, wrote in a Weibo post: “I had just returned to Beijing and was shocked to hear the news of Siu Lung’s death. For a moment, I didn’t and refuse to believe it… In my memory, he has always been the master of kung fu, who was proficient in many kinds of traditional martial arts styles.

“He applied what he had learned in life to his film and television works and was an exceptional martial arts instructor. As an actor, he portrayed many iconic characters and was well-loved by audiences, which many of us admire as his colleagues. Brother Leung, it’s snowing in Beijing and the skies are cloudy, I miss you.”

Stephen, 63, posted on Instagram Story: “Missing Mr Leung Siu Lung forever.”

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yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com