Biography
Due to his popularity, he is often the MC in events organized by TVB, and is nicknamed "the Prize Master" (獎門人）). In his youth, Eric was a Hong Kong professional soccer player.
Tsang's father, Tsang Kai-wing, was in the Police Force from 1940 to 1972, and served as a sergeant-major under the legendary "HK$500 Million Sergeant" Lui Lok, so-called for the wealth he earned in bribes received as a police officer. Tsang fled to Taiwan from the ICAC in 1976 after being convicted of corruption and sentenced to three years in jail, while still free pending an appeal. In 2001, the Department of Justice seized his house in La Salle Road and later auctioned it for HK$4.35 million after 10 years of civil proceedings. He died in Taiwan in 2011 with Eric and other family members around him. (Tsang senior was also once briefly a professional soccer player.)
Eric Tsang began his showbusiness career as a stuntman. He is known for being a short plump guy with a habit of speaking before thinking, often landing himself into hot water. His insults have led to him being assaulted by rumoured triads over bad mouthing singer Joey Yung. As an MC in the Miss Chinese International Pageant, he often favours contestants in Hong Kong.
Nevertheless, Eric also appeared in many successful Hong Kong films, gaining actor awards and nominations. Early on in his career, he was typecast as a bumbling, ugly, and crude sidekick, and it wasn't until encouragement from his daughter to stop doing comedic roles that he went on to star in a film with friend Alan Tam and was awarded a Hong Kong best actor award. Cinema critic, Perry Lam of Muse, writes that Tsang 'brings directness, straightness and a lack of nonsense to whatever role he plays, and occasionally demonstrates an uncanny ability to enter the egoless states of which only the greatest of character actors like Robert Duvall are capable.'
Eric Tsang is also an avid Buddhist, often leading other actors in efforts to raise money for Hong Kong Buddhist temples and events.
His best friends are Natalis Chan and Alan Tam, and his daughter is Mandopop singer Bowie Tsang. Tsang also has a son, actor and writer Derek Tsang.
He is a cousin (through his father) of former Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Frederick Ma.
Read more about this topic: Eric Tsang
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