'Rush Hour 2' Actor Kenneth Tsang Dies In Hong Kong Hotel Room, Cause Of Death Unknown
By Kristin Myers on April 29, 2022 at 4:15 PM EDT
Actor KennethTsang passed away while in COVID-19 quarantine in Hong Kong. He was 86 when he passed away.
The news was reported by local outlets and shared by CBS News. Tsang was best known for his roles in the 2002 James Bond film “Die Another Day.” He also starred in John Woo’s “The Killer” in 1989 and in 2001’s “Rush Hour 2” alongside Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.
Tsang had been quarantined for seven days after returning from Singapore on Monday. The South China Morning Post said that he collapsed on the floor of his hotel room and was found there by hotel staff. No cause of death was released, although local outlets said that he tested negative for COVID-19 and had no underlying health conditions.
Tributes Pour In For Late Actor Kenneth Tsang
Mr. Kenneth Tsang Kong graduated from @UCBerkeley's architecture program in 1960. Outside his prolific acting career, he also fought for the preservation of historic buildings, and supported the State Theatre conservation advocacy campaign in 2016.
RIP,曾江先生。一路好走! pic.twitter.com/06JaPwtOIB
— K Tse (@ktse852) April 27, 2022
Kenneth Tsang was more than just an actor. One user noted that he "graduated from @UCBerkeley's architecture program in 1960. Outside his prolific acting career, he also fought for the preservation of historic buildings, and supported the State Theatre conservation advocacy campaign in 2016."
RIP Kenneth Tsang. This is a scene from A Better Tomorrow. He was great a both playing a good person and a bad guy. He had tremendous range as an actor. pic.twitter.com/a7jiCkyBSB
— John Woo and his Action Pals (@woovember) April 27, 2022
However, it was his acting that most of his fans celebrated. One fan shared a scene from "A Better Tomorrow," adding, "He was great a both playing a good person and a bad guy. He had tremendous range as an actor."
RIP Kenneth Tsang. I know him best for A Better Tomorrow, A Better Tomorrow II, The Killer and Supercop but he has a massive filmography including Rush Hour 2, The Replacement Killers and Memoirs of a Geisha. A true veteran actor. pic.twitter.com/S3RTEeL2S4
— Fu for Thought (@fuforthoughtpod) April 27, 2022
Another fan listed his impressive list of film credits, which included "A Better Tomorrow, A Better Tomorrow II, The Killer and Supercop" as well as "Rush Hour 2, The Replacement Killers, and Memoirs of a Geisha."
Fans Remember His Acting Credits... And A 'Corny TV Ad For Hair Dye'
While I don't wanna reduce the career of Kenneth Tsang down to a corny TV ad for hair dye, this ad ran for 30-odd years (same time every night too for the longest time) on Hong Kong TV.
RIP to the guy who hands Ti Lung a katana in A Better Tomorrow II. pic.twitter.com/Y3hUF7RI4z
— Dylan Cheung (@Futurhythm) April 27, 2022
Another fan shared a hilarious commercial, tweeting, "While I don't wanna reduce the career of Kenneth Tsang down to a corny TV ad for hair dye, this ad ran for 30-odd years (same time every night too for the longest time) on Hong Kong TV. RIP to the guy who hands Ti Lung a katana in A Better Tomorrow II."
I once saw A Better Tomorrow II (1987) on a whim in a theater in downtown Seattle in early 90s. Lots of laughter at the melodrama at 1st. But when the real John Woo stood up in the 3rd act, the crowd went silent untill this exact moment. Minds blown. Fans made. RIP Kenneth Tsang pic.twitter.com/iaFFEwF1vQ
— 4krazykatz (@4krazykatz) April 27, 2022
"I once saw A Better Tomorrow II (1987) on a whim in a theater in downtown Seattle in the early 90s," Another fan shared. "Lots of laughter at the melodrama at 1st. But when the real John Woo stood up in the 3rd act, the crowd went silent until this exact moment. Minds blown. Fans made."
Why our legendary actor Kenneth Tsang had to deal with this alone in a quarantine hotel? I never int/v him but I was on a movie set with him as an extra. He was so “in” the character n I felt intimidated. One of the finest fr Hong Kong. No words can describe how sad+angry I am. https://t.co/wMMmbfQhfW
— Vivienne Chow (@VivienneChow) April 27, 2022
Variety contributor Vivienne Chow asked, "Why our legendary actor Kenneth Tsang had to deal with this alone in a quarantine hotel? I never int/v him but I was on a movie set with him as an extra. He was so 'in' the character n I felt intimidated. One of the finest fr Hong Kong. No words can describe how sad+angry I am."
Hopefully, more information about his passing will become available in the coming days.