Veteran Hong Kong actor and filmmaker Patrick Tse dies at age 89

Entertainment His children, Nicholas Tse and Jennifer Tse, confirmed on social media that he died peacefully in hospital after a period of declining health. Veteran Hong Kong actor and director Patrick Tse. (Photos: 8days) New: You can now listen to articles. This audio is generated by an AI tool. 20 Jul 2026 05:30PM (Updated: 20 Jul 2026 05:31PM) The Hong Kong veteran actor, director and filmmaker Patrick Tse has died at the age of 89. His children, actor-singer Nicholas Tse and actress-model Jennifer Tse, confirmed his death on social media on Monday (Jul 20)."With profound sadness, our family announces the passing of our beloved father, Patrick Tse," Jennifer wrote on Instagram."He passed away peacefully in hospital, surrounded by the love of his family, after a period of declining health."She described her father as someone who "brought joy to everyone around him" and said his contributions to Hong Kong cinema had "touched generations". She also asked for privacy as the family mourns his passing. Instagram story from Jennifer Tse announcing the death of her father, Hong Kong actor and director Patrick Tse. (Photo: Instagram/jennifertsetingting) Nicholas also paid tribute to his father in a post written in Cantonese."My father devoted his entire life to film, television and entertainment, hoping to bring joy and laughter to every audience member," he wrote."He often said, 'The show must go on.' All we need to do is keep in our hearts the image of him as he always was – forever charismatic, forever smiling, forever at his best." The elder Tse made his acting debut at the age of 17 in the 1952 film The Stormy Night and went on to become one of Hong Kong cinema's biggest stars in the 1960s and 1970s.Throughout his career, he was known for his romantic leading-man roles, comedies, martial arts films and television dramas, including Swordsman Siu Sap Yat Long in 1978 and The Shell Game in 1980.In 2022, Patrick won Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards for his performance as a retired contract killer in the black comedy film Time. He later became the oldest recipient of the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor for the same role.According to Hong Kong newspaper The Standard, his last reported public appearance was in late April, when he was spotted having coffee with friends at a cafe. Although he appeared noticeably thinner and was using both a wheelchair and a walking stick, he remained cheerful, smiling and posing for photographs with members of the public.Following his Best Actor win in 2022, Patrick had largely stepped away from the public eye and did not take on any new acting projects.