Beloved TV and Movie Actor Dies of Pneumonia: Chow Chung Was 92

Prolific Chinese actor Chow Chung has died. He was 92.

Chung died from pneumonia on July 4, according to Hong Kong newspaper Headline Daily.

The actor began his career in 1955, after producer Huang Qingha noticed him shopping in a department store and recommended he take up acting, even going so far as to help him get an acting contract.

He played the lead role in his first film, Broken Piano House, before going on to appear in over 100 movies and TV shows from the 1960s to the 2010s.

His best known films to American audiences are Jacob Cheung’s award-winning 1992 satirical comedy-drama Cageman, where a group of tenants fight to stay in their living spaces as the landlord tries to tear the building down, and the 2008 action film Triad Wars, which stars Chung alongside well-known action legends like Sammo Hung, Simon Yam, Wu Jing, and Danny Lee.

In 1998, he joined Hong Kong TV channel Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), and became known as the channel’s “official grandfather” across the country for his innumerable appearances on many of the network’s shows.

He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in the country for his role in the 2008 TV drama Heart of Greed. His last appearance on-screen was on TV series Against the Gods.

In his free time, he was actively involved in union work, and was at one point the president of the South China Film Industry Union for several years.

Chung is survived by his three daughters and one son.