HONG KONG veteran movie actor, Wu Mengda or Ng Man-tat who has performed countless comedy movies entertaining millions, passed away Saturday due to illness at the age of 69.

Tian Qiwen, Hong Kong actor and production manager, confirmed the death to local media.

Wu moved to Hong Kong from Xiamen, Fujian Province with his parents when he was 7.

In 1973, he enrolled in the TVB artist training class, and in 1979 made a name for himself with the role Hu Tiehua in the TV series “The Legend of Chu Liuxiang.”

Until the 1980s, Wu and Stephen Chow co-starred in many TV series such as “The Hero” and “He Comes From the Rivers and Lakes.” The two became one of the most successful comedy partners in Hong Kong movies.

Wu has been active in the film industry since the early 1990s. In 1991, he won the best supporting actor award at the 10th Hong Kong Film Awards with “A Moment of Romance.”

After that, Wu and Chow co-starred in many classic works such as “Tricky Brains,” “God of Gamblers,” “Fight Back to School,” “Hail the Judge” and “Shaolin Football,” setting new box office records time and again.

In 2014, Wu suffered a heart failure due to a sudden virus infection and had to be urgently admitted into the ICU. After he was discharged from the hospital, he quit smoking and drinking for the sake of his health.

A month ago, when shooting for a promotional poster for a new film, “The Legend of Shaolin Temple,” Wu suffered chest discomfort and could not stand steady. He insisted on completing the job and apologized for delaying the shooting progress.

A few days ago, it was reported that Wu was being treated in a hospital’s oncology department for liver cancer and was required to undergo chemotherapy.

Earlier February, singer songwriter Zhao Yingjun also died of liver cancer at the age of 43. He wrote the theme songs for films such as “A Little Red Flower,” “Detective Chinatown” and “Lost in Hong Kong.”

(SD-Agencies)