Just yesterday (10th October), it was reported that Hong Kong martial arts actor Mang Hoi (孟海) had passed away at age 65 from oesophageal cancer. Many have since been mourning his loss, with some reminiscing on the life Mang Hoi lived.
Mang Hoi is well remembered for his performance in various works, but not many compare to his role in “Yes, Madam (皇家师姐)” which nabbed him Best Supporting Actor in the Hong Kong film awards. But, that wasn’t all it did. Mang Hoi also managed to romance fellow actress Cynthia Rothrock, with Michelle Yeoh (杨紫琼)’s help!
Just last year, Mang Hoi shared details about his acting career during an interview with Hong Kong TV program “一起走过”. The late martial arts actor first attributed the start of his career to Bruce Lee, who pulled him in for a cameo for the 1973 film “Enter the Dragon (龙争虎斗)”. Well, not only did it turn out to be his road to fame, it was also his road to romance with American marital artist Cynthia Rothrock.
The duo met on the set of “Yes, Madam” when Cynthia was invited to film in Hong Kong with Michelle Yeoh. When asked if he had fallen in love with Cynthia at first sight, Mang Hoi smiled and answered: “How can (one) be so passionate?” The late actor explained he had spent every day with Cynthia for six months to finish filming “Yes, Madam”.
As it turns out Cynthia did not speak Cantonese while Mang Hoi spoke no English. Cynthia did try, however. “At first, she told me to hire a Chinese teacher for her. She studied with the teacher for two or three weeks but (it) didn’t work out. So, she found a Cantonese teacher, but she still couldn’t (pick it up) after studying for one month,” he recalled. In the end, they required Michelle’s help to act as a translator between them.
“(I) relied on Michelle Yeoh to be (our) translator, (as I) taught (Cynthia) dialogue, positioning and acting,” Mang Hoi shared. However, the language barrier was still problematic. As such, Cynthia asked him to learn English instead. “At the time, I kept learning from the two of them (Michelle and Cynthia). I became good at it after (practicing),” he added.
However, the international couple soon broke up after five years. “When she wanted to get married, I was only 26 years old. Of course, I didn’t want to (get married),” he stated. Additionally, Cynthia had plans to return to the US to continue her career and hoped Mang Hoi would follow her. But, he refused. When asked if he regretted it, he said: “Of course not, how could I regret it?”
Mang Hoi did not stay single forever, he later married and had a daughter. He once claimed he would return to filming, but his last film “Kung Fu Jungle (一个人的武林)” was in 2014, starring Donnie Yen. Our hearts go out to all those who knew the late martial artist. We pray they will find peace in his passing.
Sources: China Press, Sinchew Daily
