Chung King-fai

Life and career Early life and education Chung King-fai was born on 23 March 1937 in Bangkok, Siam (now Thailand), to a family of Chinese expatriates, with ancestral roots in Taishan, Guangdong. His great-grandfather was a dockyard merchant. His mother, surnamed Cheung, was from Shanghai. At around the age of four, due to the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, his family travelled by train to Shanghai, Nanjing, and Anhui to seek refuge. in 1953 for The Cheats of Scapin and again in December 1954 for The Lost Silk Hat. though his academic performance was average. In 1958, he went to the United States and entered Oklahoma Baptist University directly into the second semester of the third year in Speech and Drama, with a minor in English. Chung was later admitted to the Yale School of Drama for a three-year Master of Fine Arts programme, Invited by Dr. Maurice J. Anderson, then founding vice-president of Hong Kong Baptist College, he served as an assistant lecturer in English Language and Literature for three years, during which he taught drama. It was the first time for drama courses to be taught in the tertiary education in Hong Kong. He also founded the College Dramatic Society there. While teaching at Hong Kong Baptist College, Chung also worked part-time as a scriptwriter and director at Rediffusion Television (now Asia Television), Hong Kong's first cable television network. In the same year, senior TVB executive Steve Huang Shih-chiu sent him a formal invitation through Yao Ke. Chung continued teaching at Hong Kong Baptist College for another year and officially joined TVB in June 1967. Following Robert Chua's transfer in November 1973, Chung temporarily held both roles of general programme manager and production manager.

In August 1975, Rediffusion Television reached an agreement with Chung for him to join immediately after his contract ended with TVB. TVB reassigned him to the role of assistant general manager. In February 1976, Chung was appointed director of Chinese programming at Rediffusion Television and then also the role of assistant general manager from December 1976. In August 1977, he became deputy general manager. In February 1982, Chung initially planned to resign to pursue personal interests and to establish his own company, but was ultimately persuaded to stay and take over the responsibilities of Lee Sil-hong. He eventually stepped down on 1 March 1983.

Beginning in 1983, he took part in preparations for the establishment of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the first tertiary institution of its kind in the territory. When the academy officially opened in 1985, he became the founding Dean of the School of Drama. During his tenure, he developed a comprehensive degree programme covering acting, playwriting and directing, and incorporated a substantial body of Western drama into the curriculum as core material.

Later career, illness and death

After retiring in 2001, Chung remained active in the performing arts, continuing to take on roles in both stage productions and television programmes. In 2005, Chung participated in a Hong Kong government-funded TV advertisement campaign, "Our Home, Our Country", to promote the Chinese national anthem by providing narration that explained its historical background.

In 2012, Chung authorised the publication of his biography Self-disciplined, Pragmatic, Humble, Harmonious: Chung King-fai. Written by Hong Tsz-ling, the book "documents the origins of Chung King-fai's inextricable bond to the art of drama from 1937 to the present."

After undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer in 2016, Chung gradually withdrew from public appearances following his work on Finding Her Voice to focus on recovery. In 2017, Chung stepped down as president of the Hong Kong Federation of Drama Societies after 33 years of service from its founding. In subsequent years, his health declined noticeably, with reduced mobility eventually needing the use of a wheelchair.

Chung died at home in his sleep on 3 June 2026, at the age of 89.

Filmography Film Year Title Role 1984 Love in a Fallen City Mr. Hsu 1986 Dr. King 1994 I Have a Date with Spring Himself Cameo 1996 Tristar Dinosaur Hu-Du-Men Chan Yiu-jo Black Mask Commissioner of Police God of Gamblers 3: The Early Stage Kent Lang 1997 Lawyer Lawyer Sir Ho Sai 2003 Chen Hon-ming 2005 A.V. Boss 2015 Chairman Li 2018 Zoey's grandfather 2020 Septet: The Story of Hong Kong Old man's father

Television series Year Title Role Network 1976 Wong Wan RTV 1979 Prince Ning RTV 2003 Ho Fung-nin TVB 2005 My Family Man Tai-lor TVB 2006 Welcome to the House Ko Hing TVB 2007 Word Twisters' Adventures Heavenly King TVB 2011 A Great Way To Care Leong Wai Keong TVB The Other Truth Hau Pak-kan (Clayton) TVB 2013 Will Power Shum Yik-wo (Paul) TVB 2014 Rear Mirror Yiu Siu Bong TVB Come On, Cousin Lam Chi-wing TVB Angel In-the-Making Dom Cheung TVB Law dis-Order Ching Yat-hong (Henry) TVB 2017 My Ages Apart Barrister Wu TVB Cameo 2019 Bak Chin-ngam TVB

Accolades Year Award Category Work Result 1992 Hong Kong Drama Awards Best Director (Tragedy/Drama) M. Butterfly 1993 Best Director (Comedy/Farce) A Foxy Tale 1994 Best Actor (Tragedy/Drama) Henry IV Best Director (Comedy/Farce) Driving Miss Daisy 1995 Best Actor (Tragedy/Drama) Amadeus Best Director (Comedy/Farce) Guys and Dolls 1996 Best Actor (Tragedy/Drama) Death of a Salesman Best Director (Tragedy/Drama) The End of the Long River 1997 The Shadow Box 1998 Before the Rain Stops 1999 Best Actor (Tragedy/Drama) The Dresser Best Director (Tragedy/Drama) Arts Archievement in Drama 2000 Hong Kong Drama Awards Best Director (Tragedy/Drama) A Sentimental Journey 2005 Hong Kong Drama Awards Best Actor (Tragedy/Drama) Inherit the Wind 2006 TVB Award for Best Supporting Actor The Dance of Passion Life Achievement Award 2007 Hong Kong Drama Awards Best Actor (Tragedy/Drama) The Unexpected Man 2016 Hong Kong Drama Awards Best Actor (Tragedy/Drama) All My Sons 2018 Life Achievement Award