Stars Pay Tribute To Director Benny Chan, Who Passed Away At Age 58 From Nose Cancer
He is remembered as both a great director and a good man.
Celebrities have taken to social media to mourn the death of veteran Hongkong director Benny Chan (not to be confused with the Hongkong actor), who passed away yesterday (Aug 23) morning following a battle with nose cancer. He was 58 years old.
According to reports, Benny began experiencing discomfort while working on his final film Raging Fire, which stars Donnie Yen and Nicholas Tse, and was diagnosed with the cancer after going for a check-up. Although shooting had already wrapped late last year, he was unable to participate in the post-production process.
After being warded in the Prince of Wales Hospital for the past few months, Benny was recently moved to the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, but he died two days after the transfer. He leaves behind a wife, son, and daughter.
Benny Chan (far left) with Andy Lau, Fan Bingbing, and Nicholas Tse
Benny made his directorial debut in 1990 with A Moment of Romance, which starred Andy Lau and Wu Chien-lien. Andy's role as a young gangster in love with a rich heiress is now considered one of the Heavenly King's most iconic. Benny then went on to make a name for himself as one of the industry’s best filmmakers when it comes to police and triad movies, with some of his other notable works including New Police Story, Rob-B-Hood, The White Storm, Shaolin, and Gen-X Cops.
Over the course of his illustrious career, Benny had the chance to direct some of the biggest names in showbiz, many of whom have since come forward to pay tribute to the late auteur.
Andy Lau
Besides A Moment of Romance, Andy also worked with Benny in What a Hero! and Shaolin. The 58-year-old shared a brief statement in response to Benny’s death saying: “It’s very hard to accept, [my] heart aches, but life is full of uncertainty.”
Louis Koo
Louis Koo’s response to media enquiries was even shorter than Andy’s. The 49-year-old, whose films with Benny include Rob-B-Hood, Connected, and The White Storm, shared just four Chinese words, which translate to “sad” or “depressed”.
Nicholas Tse
Posting an old photo of himself with Benny, Daniel Wu, Stephen Fung, and Sam Lee on Weibo, Nic wrote: “Director Benny Chan has left us. From Gen-X Cops, New Police Story, Shaolin, and Invisible Target… all the way to Raging Fire, he was my mentor and left a deep influence on me whether it came to acting or conducting oneself. [I will] miss you forever, director Benny.”
Stephen Fung
Posting the same photo as Nic along with another #throwback shot with Benny from the set of Gen-X Cops, Stephen wrote: “Shocked to hear the passing of Director Benny Chan. Not only was he a strong force behind Hong Kong cinema. He was Kind, Moral, a True Gentleman. We will miss you. Rest In Peace. (sic)”
Stephen’s wife Shu Qi, who was in Benny’s 2010 film City Under Siege, also posted a photo of the late director on her Instagram with three candle emojis in a simple and silent tribute.
Daniel Wu
Daniel’s post was a #throwback within a #throwback as he reposted an old photo he had shared earlier of himself with Benny, Nicholas, Stephen, Sam, and Jackie Chan.
“Today I was truly saddened to find out that legendary Hongkong director Benny Chan had passed. Gen-X Cops, Divergence, New Police Story, I did some of my best work under his guidance. I will miss you dearly! You were the best in the game!”, reads his tribute.
Eddie Peng
Eddie Peng shared a couple of photos of himself with Benny on Instagram with the simple caption: “Thank you, director Benny Chan. I will always miss you. Rest in peace.”
Donnie Yen
Donnie recalled the first times he worked with Benny on the TV shows The Kung Fu Master and Fist of Fury in the mid-’90s in his Facebook post, adding that the latter was “still the same positive, strong, happy, inspiring director and friend” when they reunited for Raging Fire 25 years later.
“I will miss your smile, our creative exchanges and fatherhood stories. You will be greatly missed my friend. RIP (sic)” he wrote.
Charlene Choi
Charlene Choi still has vivid memories from working with Benny in New Police Story and Rob-B-Hood, which she shared in a lengthy caption on Instagram along with two stills from the movies.
“I remember filming a scene for New Police Story in the detention centre. The director gave me the freedom to express myself, to act how I wanted and say what I wanted to say… and that was our first collaboration and I was still a newcomer.
The second time we worked together was for Rob-B-Hood. There was a scene where I needed to cry on a crowded street, and shooting it was a race against time, but the director was afraid I would be stressed, so he cleverly assigned a cameraman to keep filming me until my emotions came out… and that time, I was acting opposite my senior Louis Koo…
Director Benny Chan is a very talented director. He has a very noble character, an extremely good temper, is very polite when he speaks to everyone, and he is happy to hire newcomers. I am so grateful for the opportunities he gave me all those years ago. I am honoured to have participated in your films!”
Miriam Yeung
Although didn't direct Miriam Yeung in 2015’s Little Big Master — he produced the movie — she had nothing but kind words for him, writing on her Instagram Stories: “So sudden. [I’m] so sad. [He was] a director that I respected so much [and] a very, very good person. [I will] always miss him. Rest in peace.”
Aaron Kwok
Aaron Kwok reposted the news of Benny’s passing on his Weibo and wrote: “Very sad. Well-respected director Benny Chan. Rest in peace.”
The 54-year-old, who worked with Benny in Divergence (which nabbed him Best Leading Actor at the Golden Horse Awards in 2005) also responded to media enquiries with: “[I am] very stunned, very sad, and was unable to accept it for a while. He was my mentor and had a very good character. I will always miss him! My condolences to his family!”
Photos: TPG, PBE Media, Nicholas Tse/Weibo, Stephen Fung/Instagram, Donnie Yen/Facebook, Charlene Choi/Instagram, Daniel Wu/Instagram, Eddie Peng/Instagram, Miriam Yeung/Instagram
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