Jackie Chan pays tribute to HK star Liu Kai Chi

Jackie Chan (right) and Liu Kai Chi starred in 2004's 'New Police Story'. Photo: Handout

More celebrities have paid tribute to Hong Kong actor Liu Kai Chi, who died of stomach cancer at 66 on Sunday (March 28).

One of them was action superstar Jackie Chan, who had acted with Liu - affectionately known as Uncle Chi - in New Police Story (2004).

The crime-action film, which also starred Nicholas Tse, Charlie Young and Daniel Wu, was directed by Benny Chan, who died of nasopharyngeal cancer at 58 in August 2020.

Jackie Chan wrote in Chinese on Weibo on Monday: "My serendipity with Uncle Chi was not only when we worked together on New Police Story with director Benny Chan. We were also born on the same day, same month and same year.

"I was sad when I learnt of the news. Director Chan passed away last year, while Mr Liu just passed away.

"Mr Liu Kai Chi was truly a skillful actor. He was low-profile, dedicated and professional, a role model in the acting industry. There is now another good actor in heaven. I will miss him."

Both Chan and Liu were born on April 7, 1954. Chan attached a photo of both of them in New Police Story, in which he played the leading character Senior Inspector Chan Kwok Wing, while Liu played his good friend and commander.

Tse, who played Chan's new partner in New Police Story, also paid tribute to Liu.

The 40-year-old singer-actor wrote on Weibo: "We have worked together on several movies such as Beast Stalker (2008) and The Stool Pigeon (2010), and I have learnt a lot from you. Will miss you, Uncle Chi."

Liu was nominated eight times for Best Supporting Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards, winning twice for Cageman (1992) and Beast Stalker.

Early on Wednesday, Liu's second son, John, posted on social media for the first time since his father's death as he thanked everyone for their concern and love for his father.

Liu is survived by his wife, former TVB actress Barbara Chan, 60, and their two sons, aged 22 and 26. Their youngest son died at the age of five in 2006 after a three-year battle with leukaemia. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network