Godfrey Gao's father dies just before star's 4th death anniversary

Godfrey Gao's father has reportedly died at 81, nearly four years after the Taiwanese-Canadian model-actor's death.

Charles Gao, Godfrey's older brother, announced the news in an Instagram post on Nov 26, which was coincidentally the eve of the star's death anniversary.

"My dearest daddy, if there is fate, I hope it will let me be your son again!" the actor wrote on a photo of his father and him eating a donut. "Love you, daddy! Hope to see you again."

Condolences and well wishes poured in for Charles and his family.

"Oh Charles, I'm so sorry — big love to you and your mum," wrote Shawn Yue's wife, Sarah Wang.

A netizen wrote: "Tomorrow is Nov 27, Dad has gone to find Godfrey. Charles, take care of your health and take good care of mum."

Godfrey was the youngest of three sons born to his father, a Taiwanese of Shanghainese descent who worked as a general manager at Michelin Taiwan, and a Malaysian Peranakan mother who won the Miss Penang beauty pageant in 1970.

The family moved to Canada when Godfrey and his brothers were young, and he returned to Taiwan in 2004 to model.

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Godfrey was the first male Asian model to appear in a campaign for Louis Vuitton in 2011 and was often deemed as the continent's first male supermodel.

He also starred in Chinese drama Remembering Lichuan (2016) and Hollywood movie The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013).

Godfrey died on the early morning of Nov 27, 2019 from cardiac arrest after he collapsed while filming for the Chinese reality show Chase Me. The producers of the show faced criticism for having contestants engage in physically strenuous challenges for long hours until late at night.

Godfrey had been reportedly filming for 17 hours on the day he died. He was 35.

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drimac@asiaone.com

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