Lai Suen (right) leaves behind a legacy spanning more than five decades. Her niece is former TVB actress Gigi Lai. Photos: Gigi Lai/Instagram
Hong Kong actress Lai Suen has passed away at the age of 93.
Her daughter told HK media that Lai Suen died on Aug 28.
Born into a family of film pioneers, Lai Suen was the daughter of Lai Man Wai, known as the “Father of Hong Kong Cinema”, and Chinese-Canadian silent film actress Florence Lim Cho Cho.
Her brother, Lai Hang, also entered the industry early, beginning his acting career at just four years old.
Her niece, retired TVB star Gigi Lai, posted a tribute on social media on Aug 31, sharing several black-and-white photos of her aunt, including one of them together at an award ceremony.
“Your smile and warmth will forever remain in our hearts. We will miss you, always,” she wrote, as translated by the South China Morning Post.
Lai Suen stepped into acting at the age of 17, making her film debut in the 1950s before moving to television in the 1970s.
Over the course of her career, she appeared in more than 70 productions, including the dramas The Greed Of Man and A Kindred Spirit.
A Kindred Spirit, which aired from 1995 to 1999, remains one of Hong Kong’s longest-running dramas, with 1,128 episodes.
After more than 50 years in the industry, she retired in 2010.
In 2023, the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild honoured Lai Suen with the Outstanding Performing Arts Award in recognition of her contributions.
