Benz Hui’s Great-Grandfather Is The Godson Of Empress Cixi
The Hongkong actor who comes from a very influential family says he’s not a rich man’s son.
For years, there have been rumours that Hongkong actor Benz Hui, 72, is from a very prominent and very rich family with a storied history that dates back to ancient China.
People claimed that his dad is a wealthy goldsmith while his great-grandfather is said to be the godson of Empress Cixi. It’s also said that Benz's grandaunt is the wife of famed Chinese writer Lu Xun, who is known as the father of modern Chinese literature.
That's not all. Benz is rumoured to share the same family tree as billionaire tycoon Julian Hui, who is the husband of Michelle Reis and whose family is one of the wealthiest and most influential in Hongkong.
Benz and his daughter Charmaine, who runs a bakery in Upper Thomson
Benz, who lives in Yishun — his 23-year-old daughter, Charmaine, runs a bakery in Upper Thomson — addressed those rumours in a recent interview with Macau host Avaly.
He revealed that his paternal great-grandfather Xu Yingkui, who was a 19th-century Qing dynasty politician, was indeed the godson of Empress Cixi and that his grandaunt, Xu Guangping, was really the wife of Lu Xun, which makes him the nephew of one of China’s most famous authors.
Avaly interviewing Benz and calling him rich at the same time
As for whether his dad really is a goldsmith, Benz downplayed the rumour by saying that they “[sold] accessories”. The host then commented that Benz is a “rich man’s son”, before asking him why he didn’t go into business or politics.
“What is a rich man’s son?” asked Benz. “You have money if you have a dollar. I could have one cent, so how can I be considered a rich man’s son?”
Avaly then commented that a person can only pursue the arts if he’s from a wealthy family. Her comment surprised Benz, who stuttered, “You must be joking. I worked hard to get to where I am. You don’t know… a person may look well-off on the outside, but you wouldn’t know if he has worries on the inside. If I don’t act in a show, would I have money to eat? My family was well-off in the earlier generations but when it reached me, I had to depend on myself.”
Photos: Aik Chen/8days.sg and hk01
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