"四哥"谢贤谢幕：从粤语片小生，到最年长的金像奖影帝

Today I want to talk about a Hong Kong legend who has just taken his final bow: Xie Xian (Patrick Tse), known as "Fourth Brother."

On July 20, he passed away peacefully at home, at the age of eighty-nine.

The news was confirmed personally by his son Nicholas Tse, and in an instant, countless people were mourning this veteran artist.

Speaking of Xie Xian, younger generations may be more familiar with his two children — Nicholas Tse and Jennifer Tse.

But in Hong Kong's entertainment world, he himself was the true grandmaster, the elder among elders.

Xie Xian, born Xie Jiayu, came into the world in 1936.

Back in the 1950s, he entered the film world as a teenager and, with his handsome looks and dashing charm, swiftly became a hot young leading man.

In that golden age of Cantonese cinema, he was a silver-screen idol in the hearts of countless viewers.

Across his life, which overlaps with nearly half the history of Hong Kong cinema, he appeared in close to two hundred films.

In the late 1970s, he moved into television.

His 1980 lead in "The King of Gamblers" single-handedly helped the station retake the ratings crown, and it's hailed to this day as a classic of Chinese-language television.

You could say Xie Xian's generation of artists built, with their own hands, the most glorious era of Hong Kong film and TV.

What's most admirable is his near-lifelong devotion to acting.

Even in his twilight years, he remained active on set.

In 2019, the Film Awards granted him a "Lifetime Achievement Award" — everyone assumed that was a fitting final full stop.

Who knew that a few years later, at the grand age of eighty-five, he would win Best Actor at the Film Awards for a single film, becoming the oldest Best Actor in screen history.

It's a record that will likely be hard to break for a very long time.

In his later years, Xie Xian lived in seclusion, his health failing steadily.

Just this April, some still ran into him at Victoria Peak — thin now, getting around by wheelchair, a sight that left people sighing.

When the sad news came, Nicholas Tse was preparing a concert on the mainland; on hearing it, he returned to Hong Kong at once and quietly.

Honoring Fourth Brother's living wishes, the family kept everything simple.

Nicholas Tse left one line: don't weep for Dad; remembering his most perfect image is enough.

A man who acted his whole life has, at last, quietly taken his final bow.

And the light and shadow he leaves behind will accompany generation after generation, lingering long.

OK, that's all for today — see you next time.