Late HK actor Ng Man Tat remembered by local artistes

Several local artistes who have worked with Hong Kong actor Ng Man Tat, who died of liver cancer at age 70 last Saturday, have paid tribute to Ng, who is fondly remembered for his roles in popular Stephen Chow comedies like Fight Back To School (1991).

Actor Li Wenhai, who acted with Ng in the dramedy Money No Problem (2004) by the former SPH MediaWorks, told Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao that Ng had no airs and was very humble.

Actress Apple Hong, who acted in the same dramedy, said on social media that she would remember Ng for his professionalism and willingness to share his acting experience.

They had previously worked together on another production Drunken Kung Fu in Hengdian, China, in 2002, and Hong said that Ng had taken good care of her as she was still a new actress then.

"I almost couldn't recognise you when you came over to say hi to me that day as you looked thinner," wrote Hong.

"I said that you had become more handsome and hoped we could work together again."

Comedian Mark Lee and director Ong Kuo Sin, who were behind the well-received movie Number 1 (2020), also remember Ng fondly.

Lee said on social media that he has the good fortune to work with Ng on the movie Time Is Money eight years ago, which starred the two of them as well as Taiwanese comedian Kang Kang, who was also the director.

Ong, who was one of the producers of Time Is Money, said on social media that he would always remember what Ng once said: "Filming is like looking for trouble, but shows which are not troubled are not good to watch."

Ng's estate would go to his wife and five children, Malaysia's Guang Ming Daily reported.

He was said to have drawn up a will after he suffered heart failure due to a viral infection in 2014.

Guang Ming Daily said he would leave half his estate, said to be worth more than HK$10 million (S$1.7 million), to his Malaysian wife Hou Shan Yan, with the other half to his five children.

Ng had a pair of twin daughters, 42, with his first wife Mak Lee Lee. He also had a daughter, who is around 30, with former Hong Kong actress Lo Siu Chi.

He met Ms Hou, a former Malaysian beauty queen, while filming the 1993 movie All's Well End's Well, Too and they became a couple later.

He divorced Ms Mak, his wife of 18 years, in 1994, and two years later, married Ms Hou, with whom he had a daughter, 24, and a son, 18.