Actor and TV Lottery Host Dead at 93: Family Announces Death of Ha Chun Chau

Kenneth Ng, the veteran Hong Kong actor and Mark Six lottery host better known by his stage name Ha Chun Chau, has died. He was 93.

His daughter, actress and producer Sandra Ng Kwan-yue, confirmed his death in a social media post on Tuesday, March 11, sharing with her followers, “My most beloved dad has gone.” The post, shared alongside a black-and-white photo of the beloved star, did not disclose the actor’s cause of death.

Born Kenneth Ng in Hong Kong in 1931, the star began his acting career in the ‘50s under the stage name Ha Chun Chau, which means summer, spring and autumn in Chinese, according to myNews. His first acting credit came in 1953, when he appeared in Feng chen xia quan. Throughout the mid-‘50s, he also had roles in titles such as Shi zu hen, Da nao fen zhuang lou, and Jia jiao, per his IMDb profile.

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In 1957, he joined the now-defunct Asia Television (ATV), formerly known as Rediffusion Television, where he remained for around half a century. During that time, he starred in hit titles like the hit drama series Justice Pao and 1994’s Drunken Master II, the Lau Kar-leung-directed action-comedy kung fu film that also starred Jackie Chan. His other credits include My Darling Slaves (1974), Golden Chicken 2 (2003), and Echoes of the Rainbow (2010). In 2009, he starred alongside his daughter in the comedy Lunar New Year film All’s Well Ends Well.

He earned the nickname “Father of Mark Six” after he became the first person to host the Mark Six lottery draws. He held the post for 17 years from 1976 to 1993, and briefly reprised the stint in 2003 for the television advertisement for The Family Planning Association of Hong Kong to encourage childbearing. In the 30-second ad, the actor announced the results of drawing sons, daughters and twins in a lottery rather than the usual Mark Six numbers and called on families to consult the association if they had not “hit the jackpot” of having a child within the past year.

News of his passing sparked an outpouring of tributes. Commenting on Ng’s post, one person wrote, “Take care. Deepest condolences,” as several others replied with “RIP” and praying hands emoji. Somebody else wrote that they were “sending big big hugs” to Ng and her family.