Veteran Hong Kong actor and director Wu Ma dies
Fung Wang-yuen has died at 71 after a career in film that began in 1963 with the Shaw Brothers
Tributes have been paid to veteran Hong Kong actor and director Fung Wang-yuen, better known by his stage name Wu Ma, who died of lung cancer yesterday at the age of 71.
Mainland media reported that Fung's wife, Ma Yan, broke the news in a text message to family friends early yesterday morning, in which she wrote: "He enjoyed life and enjoyed work during the last few months of his life, in his best-ever condition in recent months. He is always my hero and my beloved husband. I am very proud of him."
Ma also disclosed that Fung's health had grown worse in the past 10 months and that the cancer had spread. But Fung had not wanted to undergo chemotherapy, as he knew he would have been confined to a sickbed if he chose such a treatment.
Veteran actress Susan Shaw Yin-yin paid tribute to Fung on her microblog: "You will be missed forever and your contributions to the film industry will never be forgotten. Goodbye."
The Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild also expressed its condolences.
Born in Tianjin in 1942, Fung moved to Hong Kong in 1959. He signed up with Shaw Brothers Studio and made his screen debut in 1963. In the course of 25 years through the '60s, '70s and '80s, he was involved in more than 100 films, directing 40 of them, before his career began to slow down.