Eric Tsang

Eric Tsang
曾志偉
Chinese name 曾志偉 (Traditional)
Chinese name 曾志伟 (Simplified)
Pinyin Céng Zhìwěi (Mandarin)
Jyutping zang1 zi3 wai5 (Cantonese)
Ancestry Xinhui, Guangdong, China
Born 14 April 1953 (1953-04-14) (age 58)
Hong Kong
Occupation Master of Ceremonies, actor, director, producer

Eric Tsang Chi-wai (曾志偉), MH (born 14 April 1953 in Hong Kong with family roots in Xinhui, Guangdong, China) is a prolific Hong Kong actor, film director, film producer and television host best known for hosting the Super Trio series on TVB over the course of 10 years.

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Biography

Due to his popularity, he is often the MC in events organized by TVB, and is nicknamed "the Prize Master" (獎門人)). In his youth, Eric was a Hong Kong professional soccer player.

Tsang's father, Tsang Kai-wing, was in the Police Force from 1940 to 1972, and served as a sergeant-major under the legendary "HK$500 Million Sergeant" Lui Lok, so-called for the wealth he earned in bribes received as a police officer. Tsang fled to Taiwan from the ICAC in 1976 after being convicted of corruption and sentenced to three years in jail, while still free pending an appeal. In 2001, the Department of Justice seized his house in La Salle Road and later auctioned it for HK$4.35 million after 10 years of civil proceedings. He died in Taiwan in 2011 with Eric and other family members around him. (Tsang senior was also once briefly a professional soccer player.)[1][2]

Eric Tsang began his showbusiness career as a stuntman. He is known for being a short plump guy with a habit of speaking before thinking, often landing himself into hot water. His insults have led to him being assaulted by rumoured triads over bad mouthing singer Joey Yung. Most recently he had to apologize for crude comments he made towards Yumiko Cheng during a TV act when she accidentally exposed her underwear.

Nevertheless, Eric also appeared in many successful Hong Kong films, gaining actor awards and nominations. Early on in his career, he was typecast as a bubbling, ugly, and crude sidekick, and it wasn't until encouragement from his daughter to stop doing comedic roles that he went on to star in a film with friend Alan Tam and was awarded a Hong Kong best actor award. Cinema critic, Perry Lam of Muse, writes that Tsang 'brings directness, straightness and a lack of nonsense to whatever role he plays, and occasionally demonstrates an uncanny ability to enter the egoless states of which only the greatest of character actors like Robert Duvall are capable.'[3]

Eric Tsang is also an avid Buddhist, often leading other actors in efforts to raise money for Hong Kong Buddhist temples and events.

His best friends are Natalis Chan and Alan Tam, and his daughter is Mandopop singer Bowie Tsang. Tsang also has a son, actor and writer Derek Tsang.

He is a cousin (through his father) of former Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Frederick Ma.[2]

Filmography

Eric Tsang
Eric Tsang's hand print and autograph at the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong.
Traditional Chinese 曾志偉
Simplified Chinese 曾志伟

[4] [5]

References

  1. ^ Central Station (31 August 2009). "The worst of times for Fred Ma". http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=21&art_id=87094&sid=25199575&con_type=1&d_str=20090831&sear_year=2009. 
  2. ^ a b Tsang Kai-wing dies aged 94 after 35 years as corruption fugitive, SCMP, Danny Mok, 19 Jan 2011
  3. ^ Lam, Perry (4 2008). "'Little big man'". Muse Magazine (15): 94. 
  4. ^ "Eric Tsang". imdb.com. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0874676/. Retrieved March 27, 2010. 
  5. ^ "Eric Tsang". chinesemov.com. http://chinesemov.com/actors/Eric%20Tsang.html. Retrieved March 27, 2010. 

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Leslie Cheung
for Days of Being Wild
Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor
1992
for Alan and Eric Between Hello and Goodbye
Succeeded by
Tony Leung Ka-Fai
for 92 Legendary La Rose
Preceded by
Law Kar-ying
for Summer Snow
Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor
1997
for Comrades: Almost a Love Story
Succeeded by
Jiang Wan
for The Soong Sisters
Preceded by
Chin Kar-lok
for Full Throttle
Golden Bauhinia Awards for Best Supporting Actor
1997
for Comrades: Almost a Love Story
Succeeded by
Francis Ng
for Too Many Ways to be No.1