The entertainment world is mourning veteran Hong Kong martial arts actor Norman Chui and his wife after they died just days apart. Chui passed away in Beijing on Sept. 1 at the age of 73 following a battle with esophageal cancer, with his wife tragically dying just a few days later after she is believed to have suffered a heart attack while handling her late husband’s funeral. Their deaths were announced by Tin Kai Man, veteran actor and spokesperson for the Hong Kong Film Workers Association.
Kai Man described Chui’s passing as “very sudden,” sharing that the famed actor “seemed fine and said he was in Beijing” when a friend contacted him at the end of January, per Singapore’s Today. It’s unclear when Chui was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, but Kai Man said he passed away on Sept. 1. Known for roles The Sword Of The Third Young Master and the Reincarnated series, among others, Kai Man remembered Chui for his illustrious career, sharing, “in Hong Kong, there are two actors who don’t bring scripts to the set: one is Norman, and the other is Ng Man Tat.”
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According to Kai Man, just days after Chui’s passing, his widow, a Chinese dancer who was 30 years younger than him, also passed away.
“After [Norman] passed away, his wife took charge of the funeral arrangements. In China, the cremation process has to be done within a few days,” he said. “While handling the funeral, she started feeling unwell and she too passed away, possibly due to a heart attack. Now, their daughter is handling the arrangements.”
Details of the couple’s relationship is unclear, but they were set to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary later this year. They leave behind a daughter, who is now handling their funeral arrangements, and an 11-year-old son. Chui also has children from his previous relationships.
Chui is remembered for his decades-long career in film and TV. He rose to fame in the ’70s and ’80s as a prolific martial arts star, bringing his talents to the Hong Kong film industry in series like The Sword of the Third Young Master (1977) and Reincarnated (1979). He is also remembered for his portrayal of a samurai in the 1983 film Duel To The Death, and a villain in Stephen Chow’s 1992 film King Of Beggars. In recent years, he transitioned into online films. His last acting credit was as Hong Ge in 2023’s The Comeback, per his IMDb profile.
