‘Dashing’ Hong Kong film star Patrick Tse dies aged 89, family says

Patrick Tse Yin speaks at the 9th Golden Bauhinina Awards after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award on March 28, 2004. (Antony Dickson / South China Morning Post via Getty Images)

HONG KONG — Hong Kong film legend Patrick Tse Yin has died at the age of 89, his children said on Monday.

An actor, film director and producer who was a household name, Tse’s career spanned decades after he made his onscreen debut in 1954.

“He passed away peacefully at the hospital, surrounded by the love of his family, after a period of declining health,” his daughter, model and actor Jennifer Tse, posted on Instagram on Monday.

Known affectionately to fans as “fourth brother”, Tse established a “suave, carefree” image, playing a variety of roles in films and TV series, according to the Hong Kong Film Archive.

He appeared in 2001’s “Shaolin Soccer” and won the Best Actor award in 2022 at the Hong Kong Film Awards for “Time,” becoming the oldest actor to win the award.

“He dedicated his life to film and entertainment, hoping to bring joy and smiles to every audience member,” his son, Cantopop star Nicholas Tse, said in a separate Instagram post.

“He often said: the show must go on. So if you think of ‘fourth brother’, of my father, don’t cry, and don’t be too sad -- he would think that’s not dashing enough.”