Lo Fun

Biography

Lo Fun (Lo Fun), originally Zhang Wei Fen, was a Hong Kong actress born on April 7, 1953 in Hong Kong and raised there. Her ancestral roots trace to Xuzhou, Jiangsu province. Her stage name originated from a nickname used by her peers "Lao Fen," later changed to the homophonous "Lo Fun." Her godfather was the late famous Hong Kong actor and horse racing commentator Dong Piao. Lo Fun grew up in Wan Chai and studied at Chung Lan Secondary School. She was active in school sports, winning a gold medal in shot put, and also participated in table tennis and hurdles. She also mastered playing the Chinese instrument Ruanqin. At age 15, she joined the St. John Ambulance Brigade and the Civil Aid Service to learn nursing. Before entering the entertainment industry, she ran her own businesses including a social club, a small glass factory, and a stall. She began singing in nightclubs with her sister in the 1970s. In 1985, she entered the acting world through ATV, introduced by her godfather Dong Piao to the station's owner, and signed as an actress. She appeared in her first TV program "綜合86-300次," playing a florist named Xiao Hua. In 1988, she starred in her first film "女子監獄" (Women's Prison), introduced by Eric Tsang, playing the role of the tough prison matriarch "Shandong Po," establishing her status as a fierce woman in cinema. She also became known to mainland Chinese audiences through her role as "Grandma Liehuo" in "九品芝麻官." In 2012, she was voted "Goddess" by Gaforum users. In 2015, she appeared in a commercial with South Korean actor Lee Kwang-soo. Lo Fun passed away on February 6, 2017 at the age of 63 due to pulmonary failure caused by the rare disease dermatomyositis.