When Apple Daily contacted actor and president of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers Tin Kai Man, he said Lam Chung’s death was very sudden.

“He had a heart attack at 10pm and passed away. Lam Chung settled in Zhanjiang in 2010 and we rarely kept in touch in recent years. I wasn’t aware that he had any illness, so [it was a shock] when someone notified me of his death," said Kai Man.

Born in Macau and raised in Hongkong, Lam Chung acted in close to 100 films. He often played villains and has worked with big names like Chow Yun Fat, Tony Leung, Simon Yam, as well as the late Leslie Cheung.

Though he started to fade out of the limelight in 2000, he took on the occasional acting role and was seen in drama Lie Shou Zhe last month.

He also dabbled in screenwriting and other behind-the-scenes work, and had devoted himself to mentoring new talent.

Photos: Apple Daily, YouTube