The Tree Demon bids farewell: Hong Kong actor Lau Siu-ming dies at 94

Lau Siu-ming, the veteran Hong Kong actor whose eerie performance as Tree Demon Granny became a lasting childhood nightmare for a generation, has died at 94. Fellow veteran entertainer Ding Yu confirmed that Lau died on the evening of the 2nd, according to Hong Kong media reports.

Lau spent more than half a century in show business, but he began as a pioneer in Hong Kong dance. After studying in France, he joined the Royal Ballet of Belgium as a dancer and choreographer. When he returned to Hong Kong, he created ballets and founded a musical theatre company. He was also one of the founders of the Hong Kong Ballet Society and the Hong Kong Dance Federation.

Lau entered the film industry in 1979 after director Tsui Hark invited him to appear in The Butterfly Murders. His best-known role came in A Chinese Ghost Story, where he played the formidable Tree Demon Granny, a supernatural figure whose power and sinister presence made the character one of the most memorable villains in Hong Kong cinema for Taiwanese audiences.

He also appeared in New Police Story, The Shell Game and The Legend of the Condor Heroes, taking on both heroic and villainous roles. In 2013, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Hong Kong’s entertainment industry.

Lau’s health declined in his later years. He said he suffered from several illnesses and needed a wheelchair and domestic help when going out, leading him to turn down work and make fewer public appearances. After his wife died in 2012, he called her his “most loyal fan” and gradually withdrew from the industry. His appearance in the 2020 series Death by Zero became his final television role. Younger actors including Lau Ching-wan, Francis Ng and Cheung Tat-ming continued to visit him in recent years, reflecting the respect he commanded within the industry.

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most loyal fan