Godfrey Gao’s Last Wish Couldn’t Be Fulfilled
On November 27, Godfrey Gao <高以翔> passed away suddenly after suffering a heart attack on the set of Chinese reality show, Chase Me <追我吧>. The 35-year-old Taiwanese-Canadian actor’s death left many in disbelief and anger as criticism arose over the dangerous physical challenges guest stars were asked to do on the Zhejiang Television program.
Filming for the show started at 8:30 p.m. and the temperature dipped to 9 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit), but Godfrey and the other cast members were only wearing thin jackets. Filming for five hours until 1:45 a.m., Godfrey was being chased by another cast member. He suddenly cried out “I can’t do this anymore” and fainted while running, eventually passing away at the hospital where doctors were unable to revive him.
It was understood that actor Johnny Huang (黃景瑜) had invited Godfrey to make a guest appearance on Chase Me. Normally the guest stars are paid 240,000 to 340,000 RMB to appear on the show, but Godfrey took a discounted fee of 150,000 RMB due to his good friend’s invitation.
The production team behind Chase Me expressed their condolences in a statement, “We feel very distressed and grieved! After the accident, the show’s team and Godfrey’s agent remained by his side. We’re working together to reach out to Godfrey’s family to assist with the funeral arrangements.”
His Last Wish
Friends expressed their grief over the actor’s sudden death. Godfrey was supposed to be Best Man at his friend James Mao‘s (毛加恩) wedding this Friday, November 29. The Taiwanese basketball player wrote on social media, “This is not how it’s supposed to be. We [were] supposed to go snowboarding in February. I’m supposed to see you in two days. We supposed to grow old together. Why you leaving me so early?!! I love you always my brother.”
The actor’s last wish was to spend more time with his family. Experiencing popularity in China after his drama Remembering Li Chuan <遇見王瀝川> aired, Godfrey had felt tired working and wanted some rest. In an earlier interview, he said, “Because I’ve been busy filming recently, I didn’t have time to see my family. I hope I can take a break soon and have time to eat a meal with my family. Then I’ll continue to work hard on my career again.”
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