Lydia Shum

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Template:Infobox Chinese actor and singer Lydia Shum Din-Ha, also known as Lydia Sum (July 21, 1947 — February 19, 2008), was a legendary Hong Kong comedian, MC, and actress known for her size, signature dark rimmed glasses and hairstyle. She was affectionately known to peers and fans as Fei-fei (肥肥, literally Fat Fat or Fatty). She appeared in numerous Hong Kong films and was an iconic entertainer on TVB that spanned over forty years.[1]

Shum died on February 19, 2008 of liver cancer, following a prolonged bout of complications related to a cholecystectomy done in 2002.[2]

Early years

Shum was born in 1945 in Shanghai, China. She entered the Hong Kong entertainment industry at the age of 13 in 1958.[1] She made her film debut in 1960, joining Shaw Brothers as a teenage actress at the age of 15. Her move from Shanghai to Hong Kong took some time to adjust as she was not used to Cantonese cuisine over Shanghai cuisine.[1]

Career

TVB

One of the last picture she took on Enjoy Yourself Tonight

While she worked at Shaws Brothers, her popularity increased many folds when she became one of the first stakeholders at the up and coming TV-broadcast station TVB. In 1967 Shum's stardom began with the widely televised variety show Enjoy Yourself Tonight. She first sang in a Cantopop group known as the Four Golden Flowers and played a role as a Shanghai woman in the 1970s.[1] She also partnered with Roman Tam in singing from 1971 to 1973.

By August 5, 1972 she had become one of the first Chinese celebrity to be an honorable guest of riding through the Cross-Harbour Tunnel.[1] General manager of TVB Stephen Chan have said that there was no substitute for Lydia Shum, and that every person who worked with her eventually became well known in Hong Kong.[1] Her openness to sport bikinis and ballet costumes despite her weight also made her one of a kind.[1]

Film

Shum has been established mainly as a comic and dramatic actress, but is not limited to films in those genres. Kung fu fans will recognize her from her role as Yuen Cheung-Yan's dominating wife in the film Drunken Tai Chi. She also appeared as Richard Ng's wife in the all-star comedy Millionaire's Express and in It's a Mad Mad World in a major role. Her 1997 film Fitness Tour is one that utilized her weight.

She took a leave from her movie career in 1997, and hosted a talk show in Hong Kong, along with numerous telethons and variety shows on TVB.[1] She returned to films in 2004 with the comedy In-Laws Outlaws.

Asia region

Shum starred in Singapore's Channel 5 sitcom Living with Lydia and Cantonese series like Slim Chances (我要Fit一Fit). Her performance in Living with Lydia won her the "Best Comedy Performance by an Actress" award at the 2003 Asian Television Awards. It was also the first time she had acted in an English drama.

Personal

Marriage

Shum married actor and singer Adam Cheng Siu-chow in January 1985 after 11 years of cohabitation. Prior to the marriage, in December 1984, Shum was asked by her good friend Lee Xiang Qin to fly to San Francisco for the opening ceremony of Lee's shop. Shum, who was in Taiwan with Cheng at the time, was reluctant to do so initially. Eventually, Shum left for San Francisco for 3 days. When she came back, she heard rumors that Cheng was having an affair. When asked, Cheng denied it and suggested marriage. Thinking that marriage would deter any woman from becoming close with Cheng, Shum agreed. In January 5, 1985, Cheng and Shum flew to Vancouver, Canada to get married.[1]

Due to the hurried circumstances of their marriage and Shum's size, there was insufficient time to prepare for a wedding gown, and Shum wore a Chinese cheongsam instead. Shum later said in a 2006 interview in Hong Kong that one of her greatest regrets was to not have put on a wedding gown for her marriage.

Family

Both Shum and Adam Cheng had a daughter, Joyce Cheng Yan-yee, in 1987. Eight months after Joyce was born, Cheng and Shum divorced.[3]

Lydia Shum was also the sister of fashion designer Alfred Sung.

Health & death

Shum had several chronic ailments : cholangitis, diabetes, and hypertension. In 2002, she was admitted to hospital and had 36 gallstones extracted. In September 2006, Shum was diagnosed with a liver tumor and cancer around the gallbladder. Immediately, doctors removed one third of her liver.[4]

Prior to the cholecystectomy done in 2002, she had a history of bile duct inflammation as early as 1978. The inflammation recurred in 1989. On September 22, 2006 the bile duct inflammation had recurred, and 4 days later, the inflammation had complicated the liver and her coma began. She woke from the coma on October 1, 2006. On January 29, 2007 she once again entered the operating room to remove a liver tumor which weighed 2.7kg. On March 8, 2007 the tumor was found to be growing again so she had a cholecystectomy once again.

On November 1, 2006, a 24-year-old Indonesian domestic helper, Triyuliarti Yuyun, was convicted of violating the Hospital Authority Ordinance and sentenced to four weeks in jail. Yuyun entered a ward at the Queen Mary hospital (QMH) on October 1, 2006 where Shum had been receiving treatment, and attempted to take photographs of Shum. Later, it was confirmed that Yuyun was a domestic helper to one of the employees of the local magazine East Week, but she had not been authorized to take photographs of Shum. East Week's senior management did not approve of the action and offered an apology to Shum. Sentencing Magistrate Colin Mackintosh said Yuyun's actions were premeditated and done for financial gain and that the serious infringement of the patient's privacy warranted a custodial sentence. On that occasion, Shum was discharged from the hospital in July 2007.

On October 11, 2007, Shum collapsed at home due to pleural effusion, and was rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong for emergency treatment. She was transferred to the QMH later that day.[4] She was discharged from the hospital on October 16, 2007.

Shum was admitted to the intensive care ward at QMH on 22 January, 2008 and checked out on 26 January, 2008. Her mother passed away in Canada while Shum was in the hospital.

She was once again admitted to the intensive care ward at QMH on 2 February, 2008. at the time Shum's condition worsened. At 3 a.m. on 19 February, her family decided that Shum would be taken off life support.[1] It was decided that her breathing apparatus would be removed from her, and that her family spent time with her by her bedside. Shum died at 8:38 a.m. (local time).[1]

Prior to her death, she was known to be suffering of liver cancer and had been fighting it for two years. As part of the treatment for her illness, she underwent chemotherapy and several kidney dialysis.

On February 20, 2008, Shum's family announced in Hong Kong that Shum will be buried next to her mother in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. Shum's funeral will be private and some video footage will appear in a memorial event in Hong Kong at a later date.

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Television Broadcasts Limited TVB - Lydia shum exclusive - 東張西望之永恆的開心果 - 肥姐 - 02-21-2008
  2. ^ Lydia Sum Dies batgwa.com, 19 February 2008
  3. ^ "與鄭少秋一笑泯恩仇 肥肥打算退出娛樂圈" (in Traditional Chinese). Xinhua News Agency. 2007-06-11. Retrieved 2007-06-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b Nickkita Lau, Media scrum as Fei Fei rushed to intensive care, October 12, 2007

External links

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