Hong Kong actor Mak Ho Wai, identified for his position as the pinnacle of the family, “Old Hero”, in Singapore sitcom Don’t Worry, Be Happy (1996 to 2002), has died at the age of 76.
His dying was confirmed by his good pal, Hong Kong actress Michelle Yim, 66, who stated in a press release to the Hong Kong media that Mak died at his dwelling in Singapore on Thursday (April 14).
“Ho Wai was a great husband and father who cherished his household. He cherished his pals and was a great actor,” she stated. “We have misplaced one other pal. Rest in peace.”
Actors from the forged of Don’t Worry, Be Happy posted tributes to him on social media after the information broke.
Actress May Phua posted on Instagram Stories: “Today I say goodbye to my reel dad. Ten years appearing as your youngest daughter is a very long time for TV. Till we meet once more.”
Actor Chew Chor Meng, who performed salesman Ah Bee on the sitcom, additionally posted, writing: “Forever (our) Lao Hero. Farewell.”
Information on the reason for dying or his survivors was not instantly out there.
Information on actor Mak Ho Wai’s reason behind dying or his survivors was not instantly out there. Photo: Michelle Yim/Instagram
The Hong Kong-born actor, who was also referred to as Mai Haowei, studied in Taiwan when he was youthful and had a level in electrical engineering.
He joined the leisure business, nonetheless, to fulfil the want of his youthful brother, actor Mak Dai Shing, who died in an air crash in 1982 at the age of 29.
Mak Ho Wai attended Hong Kong broadcaster TVB’s twelfth artiste coaching programme in 1983. His classmates included Sean Lau, Lawrence Ng, Michael Tao, Carina Lau and Sandra Ng, who would go on to develop into huge names within the Hong Kong leisure business.
Mak additionally went on to behave in a number of TVB sequence in the course of the Eighties and Nineties, with memorable roles such because the boss of an funding agency in The Justice Of Life (1989) and a information vendor in The Greed Of Man (1992).
His final appearing position with TVB was as a prosecutor within the crime drama Crime And Passion (1994).
He then moved to Singapore, the place he performed TV roles such because the “Old Imp” (*76*) Botong in The Return Of The Condor Heroes (1998), the variation of late author Louis Cha’s martial arts novel of the identical identify, and the immortal Han Zhongli in Legend Of The Eight Immortals (1998 to 1999).
He was seemingly greatest identified in Singapore for his position in Don’t Worry, Be Happy, which additionally starred Fang Hui, Tracer Wong and the late Huang Wenyong.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, after leaving showbusiness, Mak had a stint as a Mandarin-speaking docent at the National Museum of Singapore. Actress Yim had met up with Mak to have a good time his birthday in late 2018 and had final met him in early 2020.
In a joint assertion issued by Mak’s daughters, Hilda and Ingrid, on social media on Thursday night, they stated they might not maintain any memorial ceremony or wake in response to his want.
“As knowledgeable artiste earlier than his retirement, dad discovered pleasure in bringing laughter and leisure by the assorted roles that he performed,” they wrote on Facebook.
“Thank you for permitting our dad to be part of your reminiscences and we recognize the help he obtained from his audiences. We imagine that he’ll take nice consolation on this.” – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
