KUALA LUMPUR (ANN/THE STAR) – Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun Fat made a candid revelation at the 20th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) when he disclosed his initial reluctance to bequeath his HKD5.6 billion (RM3.38 billion) fortune to charitable causes upon his passing.
Speaking to reporters, the iconic actor explained that he had long held reservations about parting with his “hard-earned money”.
However, a profound realisation about the impermanence of wealth and the inability to take it into the afterlife ultimately led him to reconsider his stance.
“We came into this world with nothing, and we will not be able to bring anything back with us when we die,” he said.
On the topic of life, Chow also addressed the death hoax which went viral on Chinese social media in December 2017.
According to reports, news of the actor’s apparent passing surfaced after a screenshot of a supposed news programme – which had a headline saying he had died in a Hong Kong hospital – made rounds on the Internet.
However, Chow’s wife Jasmine Tan quickly debunked the news, adding that her husband was healthy and resting at home.
During the interview at BIFF, where he was named Asian Filmmaker of the Year, Chow said that he was unperturbed by such fake stories.
Now at 68, the God of Gamblers star said that the most important thing for him is to live in the present and to not take the topic of life and death too seriously.
“When you reach a certain age, you need to get a hobby and stay healthy. I plan to run a half-marathon next November.
“Where there’s life, there’s also death. I don’t care much about wrinkles and I’m not scared of getting old because that’s life,” he said.
