Wu Mengda, a famous Hong Kong movie star, has cooperated with Stephen Chow, Andy Lau and other superstars, and has starred in many classic movies such as "Heavenly Love", "Truant Dragon", "God of Food", "Shaolin Football", etc., and is known as the "gold medal green leaf" in the Hong Kong film era. On February 27, 2021, he passed away from liver cancer at Union Hospital, Hong Kong, at the age of 70.
Wu Mengda's acting career can be described as bumpy. Born in Xiamen, Fujian Province in 1952, he moved to Hong Kong with his parents at the age of five. In 1973, he was admitted to the third artist training class of TVB, and there were stars such as Chow Yun-fat and ** Yun during the same period. In 1974, he began acting on TVB, but mostly in supporting roles. It wasn't until 1979 that he began to attract attention with the role of "Hu Tiehua" in "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang".
In the 1980s, Wu Mengda fell into trouble because of his gambling addiction, owed high debts, and once wanted to commit suicide. Later, he worked hard again, studied acting skills, and participated in film and television works such as "Senior Brother Xinzha", "True Colors of Heroes II", "SWAT Dragon Slayer", and gradually walked out of the trough. In 1990, he won the Best Supporting Actor at the 10th Hong Kong Film Awards for "Heavenly Love" starring Andy Lau, which was the only time he won the award.
In the 1990s, Wu Mengda and Stephen Chow began a 10-year cooperation and became representatives of nonsensical comedy. The movies the two have collaborated on include "Truant Weilong", "The Legend of Deer and Ding", "Wu Zhuangyuan Su Qier", "God of Food", "The King of Comedy", "Shaolin Football", etc., all of which are win-win at the box office and word of mouth. Wu Mengda's greasy, whimsy, and funny image and Stephen Chow's eccentric, elf, and amazing style formed a strong contrast and tacit understanding, which made the audience laugh.
In the 2000s, Wu Mengda turned to the mainland market and participated in films such as "Fuse" and "The Wandering Earth", and also performed well. His last film was "The Legend of Shaolin Temple" with Wang Baoqiang, which is expected to be released in 2021.
Wu Mengda's death made countless fans feel regret and grief. He used his life to interpret the actor's self-cultivation and warmed a generation with laughter. He once said, "Every time in the dead of night, it feels like I'm leaving." Now, he is finally gone, but his smile and work will always remain in our hearts. Uncle Da, go all the way!