Ng Man-tat’s 8 best films and TV shows: from Shaolin Soccer to The Wandering Earth, remembering ‘Uncle Tat’, the Hong Kong acting legend who was far more than Stephen Chow’s comedic foil

Mar 3 , 2021

Ng Man-tat’s legacy will live on in some of his most iconic roles. Photo: handout

The Shaolin Soccer star graduated from TVB’s acting classes alongside Chow Yun-fat and acted opposite the likes of Andy Lau, Tony Leung and Sandra Ng

Ng’s breakout role was the 1979 wuxia TV series Chor Lau-heung, while 2019 Chinese sci-fi epic The Wandering Earth would prove his final screen outing

Although you may remember him as the fatherly figure in almost all of Stephen Chow’s films, Ng Man-tat should be remembered as one of the most versatile actors in Hong Kong cinema. The actor affectionately known as Uncle Tat –who died of liver cancer in his sleep on February 27 –might have only taken the lead in a few films among his three-digit filmography, across a four-decade career, but he is still one of the most recognisable faces in Asian cinema.

Uncle Tat was born in 1952, according to TVB, the Hong Kong studio from which he graduated in the 70s alongside local legend Chow Yun-fat. He rose through the ranks in popularity alongside TV icons like Adam Cheng. However, by 1980, Ng had fallen into a haze of gambling that left him HK$300,000 (US$38,700 then, or the equivalent of US$190,000 today) in debt, leading to bankruptcy and TVB reducing his exposure. Ng overcame these struggles, however, and continued to hone his craft until his death – and we’re so glad he did.

Here are STYLE’s picks of Uncle Tat’s most iconic roles.

Chor Lau-heung

Ng’s breakout TV role made him a household name. In the 1979 period drama, he played Wu Tit-fa, a boisterous man known for his loyalty. Who knew that this would be the prelude to the many heart-warming roles Ng would portray for decades to come?

Police Cadet ’84

After a brief hiatus from television, Ng made a huge comeback in one of the most iconic TVB series, Police Cadet ’84. He starred as a strict but well-meaning drill sergeant opposite the then up-and-coming actor, Tony Leung.

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