Veteran ex-TVB actor Cheng Lui dies aged 82

Veteran former TVB actor Cheng Lui died on March 25 at the age of 82.

Hong Kong media reported that his memorial service was held yesterday (April 12), with the funeral taking place today at Cape Collinson.

His funeral was kept simple, according to reports, with a portrait of him in a black suit and red tie in the memorial hall. His two children and their spouses, who declined to be interviewed, also dedicated flower wreaths to him.

Cheng Lui, who was a former bodybuilder, debuted in Hong Kong showbiz in 1965 and had appeared in productions by broadcasters TVB and ATV.

Over the years, he appeared in films including Tiger Boy (1966), The Magnificent Trio (1966) and The One-Armed Swordsman (1976) and television series including The Legendary Fok (1981) and The Deer and the Cauldron (1998). He was best known for his role as Qiu Qianren in The Return of the Condor Heroes (1995) and Mu Gaofeng in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (1996).

He was also known as one of the first disciples of late Chinese filmmaker and screenwriter Chang Cheh, together with actors Chang Yi and the late Jimmy Wang Yu, Lo Lieh and Jie Yuan.

Cheng Lui faded out of the spotlight in recent years and was rumoured to have moved to Canada and died two years ago.

However, his friend, Hong Kong action choreographer-actor Jason Ng dispelled rumours last November when he posted a photo of Cheng Lui on his Douyin profile and thanked the public for their concern. Cheng Lui looked visibly older in the photo, but he appeared energetic and in good spirits.

Jason, 63, also shared Cheng Lui’s obituary in a Douyin post yesterday, adding that he died peacefully in Hong Kong.

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yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com