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

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.

The Justice of Life

This is one of the television series that paired up comedy icon Stephen Chow with Uncle Tat for the first time, in 1989, resulting in a unique brand of slapstick that forever changed Hong Kong’s comedy scene.

A Moment of Romance

But Ng had his serious side, too, showcased in the role of Rambo, a street hustler and low-level triad member who looked out for Wah Dee, famously portrayed by Andy Lau. Ng won the best supporting actor award at the 10th Hong Kong Film Awards for his performance, in 1991.

Fight Back to School

Audiences loved the chemistry between Uncle Tat and Chow in this 1991 film, which is also one of Chow’s most famous.

Shaolin Soccer

Released in 2001, Shaolin Soccer was the film that catapulted Chow to international fame … and was the last production that Chow and Ng collaborated on.

Portland Street Blues

Ng earned praise for his acting skills in this 1988 gangster movie. Appearing alongside Sandra Ng, Uncle Tat’s performance as a hopeless, debt-ridden gambling addict touched the hearts of audiences around the world.

The Wandering Earth

Uncle Tat starred in the 2019 Chinese sci-fi film The Wandering Earth which required him to regularly don over 30kg of equipment for his scenes, despite still recovering from a heart attack he suffered in 2014. This would be the last film he took part in before his cancer diagnosis.

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Chinese language cinema

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