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Eighties Hong Kong martial arts star Norman Chui Siu Keung died from oesophageal cancer on Sep 1 in Beijing. He was 73.
The news was confirmed by veteran actor and spokesperson for the Hong Kong Film Workers Association Tin Kai Man, who expressed his condolences following enquiries from the media.
Chui’s sudden death shocked and saddened fans and colleagues.
But what was more shocking was a few days after Chui’s passing, his wife died from a heart attack while handling his funeral.
Little is known about her except that she was a Chinese dancer who was 30 years younger than him. She was also this third wife.
The couple have a daughter and an 11-year-old son.
This year would have marked their 20th wedding anniversary.
“After [Norman] passed away, his wife took charge of the funeral arrangements. In China, the cremation process has to be done within a few days. While handling the funeral, she started feeling unwell and she too passed away, possibly due to a heart attack. Now, their daughter is handling the arrangements,” said Tin.
He shared that Chui, who shuttled between Hengdian and Beijing, was unaware that he had cancer.
“The older generation doesn’t like to get health checks, so his passing was very sudden. We met not long ago in Hengdian. A friend contacted him at the end of January this year, and he seemed fine and said he was in Beijing,” said Tin.
He also praised Chui as a hardworking and dedicated actor: “In Hong Kong, there are two actors who don’t bring scripts to the set: One is Norman, and the other is Ng Man Tat.”
Both veteran actors were known for their professionalism, thoroughly preparing and memorising their scripts before filming, earning great respect within the industry.
Ng Man Tat died at 70 from liver cancer in 2021.
Chui gained immense fame in the 1970s and 1980s in the Hong Kong film industry with his unique martial arts style and exceptional acting skills, especially in TV series such as Rediffusion Television dramas The Sword Of The Third Young Master (1977) and Reincarnated (1979).
His role as villain Chiu Mo Kei in Stephen Chow’s 1992 martial arts comedy King Of Beggars further cemented his status in the film industry.
In recent years, he transitioned into online films and continued to be active in the entertainment circle.
Chui also had a rich romantic history.
Not only was he married three times, Chui was also known for his relationship with former Hong Kong actress and younger sister of Michelle Yim, Shirley Yim, with whom he had a son, Edward, 41, and 37-year-old daughter Erica.
In 1983, while still married to his second wife, Norman began a seven-year affair with the then 17-year-old Shirley Yim while filming horror flick Ghost Nursing.
The pair were never married and Shirley Yim’s relationship with Chui earned her the label of “mistress”.
Michelle Yim strongly opposed their relationship and after they split, Shirley single-handedly raised their kids, who are now actors in Hong Kong. They maintain a good relationship with their dad.
Chui also has a 51-year-old son from his first marriage.
This story was originally published in 8Days.
For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/
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