Richard Ng, a renowned actor best known for his performances in Hong Kong dramas during the 1980s and 1990s, has passed away, as reported by Hong Kong media outlets HK01 and South China Morning Post (SCMP).
He was 83 years old.
The actor’s heart suddenly stopped functioning, and despite the best efforts of medical professionals, he could not be resuscitated.
On Sunday, 9 April, his family members were summoned to the hospital to bid their final farewells to the actor.
Susan, Richard Ng’s British wife, messaged Hong Kong’s Oriental Daily News to confirm her husband’s passing, adding, “The family is grieving and requests privacy at this time.”
The couple, who got married in 1965, have been blessed with three daughters and a son, the 47-year-old actor Carl Ng.
Ng first skyrocketed to fame through his role in the Lucky Stars franchise, which also featured notable actors such as Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan.
His outstanding performance in this series earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the prestigious third Hong Kong Film Awards.
After graduating from Britain, Richard Ng appeared in several BBC series before making his way back to Hong Kong in the 1970s. Upon his return, he joined the prominent Hong Kong broadcaster TVB and took part in the television program The Hui Brothers Show, which was hosted by the famous celebrity siblings Michael Hui and Sam Hui.
Ng’s cinematic debut came with the film The Private Eyes (1976), after which he went on to perform in various movies such as Money Crazy (1977), It Takes Two (1982), and Pom Pom (1984).
In more recent times, Ng took on the role of a vampire in the spine-chilling horror film Rigor Mortis (2013) and was the director of a department responsible for technical support in the humorous yet terrifying movie Vampire Cleanup Department (2017).
Fans from Singapore, however, might recognise Ng for his role as Bobby Chow in the local sitcom Under One Roof, where he played the father of Selena Tan’s character.
In the later years of his life, Ng battled various health issues, including kidney disease and hearing loss. In 2019, he publicly revealed that his kidney function had been reduced to a mere 10%, necessitating dialysis treatments four times a day. Shortly after that, he informed the media that he had also undergone heart surgery in an attempt to address his deteriorating health.
Richard Ng is survived by his wife, four children—one of whom is the actor Carl Ng—and an impressive film career that boasts over 80 movies.
