Cheng Kwan-min

Biography

Cheng Kwan-min was born in 1917 in Guangdong Bao'an into a wealthy family and studied at Wah Yan College in British Hong Kong. In 1935 he joined a drama troupe in Guangzhou, and in 1941 he became a radio announcer in Portuguese Macau. He settled in Hong Kong in 1947 and developed his career acting in Cantonese films and singing Cantonese pop songs, while also joining a radio network as an announcer in 1950. He initially played villain roles before switching to comedic roles, appearing in famous films such as the "Two Fools" series, the "Stupid King" series, and "Who Is Not Romantic" among others. He was also the original singer of "The Stars' Song" released in 1968 as a Cantonese film insert song, notable for lyrics that begin with his own name and then list many Cantonese and Mandarin film stars of that era. He worked at Hong Kong television in 1967 as a mainstay of the program "Enjoy Tonight," often playing the comedic character "James Mong." He returned in 1971 to another television channel to act in drama series. In his later years, he faced financial hardship due to failed business ventures with friends. He passed away on August 2, 1994 in Bao'an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, at the age of 77.