HK actor Damian Lau looks well in recent photos with actress Sheren Tang after talk that he had suffered a stroke

Hong Kong actress Sheren Tang has fulfilled her wish to help veteran actor Damian Lau celebrate his birthday, albeit belatedly.

On Monday (March 2), Tang posted on Weibo several photos of her celebrating her 54th birthday with Lau, who had turned 70 last October.

"Brother Damian was my TV idol during my younger days. His shows, such as Social Worker (1976) and ICAC Investigators (1978), passed the correct values to me and made me feel that acting requires a sense of mission and social responsibility," she wrote.

"He is both a good friend and a mentor during my acting career," said Tang, who has starred in TVB hits like palace drama War And Beauty (2004), but has acted mostly in Chinese dramas in recent years.

Lau looks cheerful in Tang's photos, but there were concerns about his health in January after he was photographed by Sing Tao Daily looking unwell and using a walking aid.

As his right hand was clenched in a fist, with his index and little finger bent in an unnatural way, the media speculated that he might have suffered a stroke.

Lau, famous for playing swordsman Luk Siu Fung in TVB dramas in the 1970s, said he injured himself and was on the route to recovery when he was asked by reporters.

In February, he was spotted by Apple Daily going for physiotherapy with his wife.

He looked better than he did in January, although he still used a walking aid and his right hand was clenched in a fist.

Hong Kong singer Jonathan Wong told the media that Lau had suffered a fall while rehearsing for a musical.