The sudden death of Hong Kong's Australian star actor, Gregory Charles Rivers

The Australian actor Gregory Charles Rivers, who is most famous for acting in Hong Kong, was found dead in his home in Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong on Feb. 2.

Police discovered his body near a tray of burning charcoal, and authorities suspect that he took his own life, according to the South China Morning Post. The inhalation of charcoal in a closed area can kill through carbon monoxide poisoning. He did not leave a note behind.

Image: hokwokwing_hk/Instagram

Fluent in Cantonese, Rivers is famous across Hong Kong for having acted in more than 300 dramas for Hong Kong broadcaster TVB. He once joked that he was “TVB’s token Caucasian for 20 years straight,” for having played many stereotyped roles, according to ABC News.

Image: hokwokwing_hk/Instagram

Sally Andersen, the founder of Hong Kong Dog Rescue that he had supported, said that his wife Bonnie Cheung had died just a few months ago. She had a heart condition so the couple adopted more than 10 dogs instead of having children, according to the South China Morning Post.

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Rivers had been diagnosed with skin cancer in 2017 after finding swelling on his ear, but had been cancer-free a year later. In 2018, he was also diagnosed with arrhythmia, for which he needed two rounds of surgery. According to media outlet Today, the illness got him HK800,000 ($100,000) in debt.

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Having developed a love for Cantonese culture in Australia, he went to Hong Kong to teach English in 1988, after having taught himself the language by listening to music. Soon after, he met his wife and later secured a contract with Hong Kong’s biggest TV broadcaster.

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In his 200 different soap roles, he played a range of foreigners for a growing legion of fans. His roles ranged from high-ranking police officers to foreign ambassadors, according to the South China Post. He adopted the name Ho Kwok-wing.

Image: 走路新郎哥/TVB/1990 hokwokwing_hk/Instagram

He was extremely passionate about local culture, and that’s what fans loved about him. “He learned Cantonese and truly assimilated into the society. That shows his love of the place, as Cantonese is very hard to learn, it takes some determination to learn it and speak it at his level,” one of his fans Ivan Ho told the Post.

Image: hokwokwing_hk/Instagram

Apart from TV dramas, Rivers also made his mark in films. He appeared in notable movies such as 'The Painted Veil' and 'Ip Man 2.' Later, he was also filming a food show.

Image: hokwokwing_hk/Instagram

Demonstrating his multifaceted talent, Rivers also ventured into music. He released a Cantonese album, further cementing his popularity and cultural integration in Hong Kong.

Image: hokwokwing_hk/Instagram

In a matter of a day, Hong Kong lost both Rivers and veteran radio DJ and actor Eric Cheng, a mere two days after announcing his engagement. Fans later realized that the two men had appeared in a crime drama together last year called ‘Dead Ringer.’

Image: cheng_kai_tai/Instagram

Hong Kong actor-DJ Eric Cheng's tragic death, days after engagement