Hong Kong veteran actor and first Mark Six lottery host Kenneth Ng Kam-tsun, better known as Ha Chun Chau, has died at the age of 93.
His daughter, actress Sandra Ng Kwan-yue, announced the news in a social media post on Monday night, with a black and white photo of him.
“My most beloved dad has gone,” she said, immediately drawing in condolences from multiple actors and internet users.
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Born in 1931, Kenneth Ng was more commonly known by his stage name Ha Chun Chau, which means Summer, Spring and Autumn in Chinese.
He joined the film and television industry in the 1950s and mainly played supporting roles.
He served at the now-defunct Asia Television (ATV) for around half a century, when it was known as Rediffusion Television in 1957. His well-known dramas included Justice Pao in 1995.
The actor also took part in film productions featuring famous stars, such as Drunken Master II in 1994. The film tells the story of martial artist Wong Fei-hung, played by Jackie Chan.
But the veteran actor was most well-known for being the first person to host the lottery television programme in 1976. He held the post for 17 years and was reputed for his lively presentation, earning him the “Father of Mark Six” nickname.
Ng gradually faded out from the television scene in the early 2000s.
He picked up his role as a lottery host in 2003, as he was featured in a 30-second propaganda for The Family Planning Association of Hong Kong to encourage childbearing in the city.
During the classic commercial, instead of the usual Mark Six numbers, he announced the results of drawing sons, daughters and twins in a lottery.
“The fifth drawn number is a son again,” he said, calling on families to consult the association if they had not “hit the jackpot” of getting a child in the past year.
The veteran also had a chance to perform with his daughter, Sandra Ng, in the comedy Lunar New Year film All’s Well Ends Well in 2009. He played the younger Ng’s father.
He previously said that being around 168cm (5.6 feet) tall limited his career development as his company told him that it was difficult to find an actress who was shorter than him even though he had the talent in acting.
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