Taiwanese-Canadian actor Godfrey Gao died Wednesday of sudden cardiac arrest after he collapsed while shooting a Chinese sports reality show in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, the show’s official social media account said. He was 35.
Gao was in the middle of a late-night shoot for Zhejiang TV’s reality show “Chase Me,” which puts contestants head-to-head in a series of athletic competitions. He was taken to the hospital but died hours later. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating and usually leads to death if not treated within minutes.
“I am deeply saddened by the news,” said Andrew Ooi, his friend and former manager at Echelon Talent. “Godfrey was not only a client at one point but, more importantly, a friend. We will miss him dearly, and our hearts go out to his family, especially his parents.”
Gao first rose to fame as a model, becoming the first Asian man to model for Louis Vuitton in 2011.
His China career took off after the 2016 local drama “Remembering Wang Lichuan,” which put him on the map for Chinese fans. Most recently, he appeared in July’s Chinese sci-fi film “Shanghai Fortress,” which was acquired by Netflix. He also had roles in Hollywood films such as 2013’s “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,” an action film based on the eponymous popular young adult novel series, where he played alongside Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower.
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His body will be brought back to Taipei in the coming days.