Tony Leung Ka-Fai Couldn’t Attend His Mother's Funeral In Canada 'Cos Of COVID-19 Travel Restrictions

Veteran Hongkong actor Tony Leung Ka-Fai’s mother Zhao Caixia passed away at the age of 89 in Toronto, Canada two Mondays ago (May 25), but he was unable to say his final goodbyes in person due to strict travel restrictions in light of the ongoing pandemic.

According to reports, the funeral was held yesterday (Jun 2) at Elgin Mills Cemetery in the Ontario province. Unfortunately, as Canada is currently banning foreigners and non-permanent residents from entering the country for non-essential purposes — yes, that includes funerals — in a bid to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, Tony could not be there.

​In a way, fans of Tony’s work have his mum to thank for his illustrious 37-year-long career, during which he bagged the prestigious Hongkong Film Awards Best Actor trophy four times. Because the late Mama Leung worked as a ticket seller at a cinema in Causeway Bay, Tony grew up on a heavy diet of (free!) movies, which likely helped him to cultivate an interest in acting.

The 62-year-old joined TVB’s artist training programme in 1980, where he was course mates with fellow superstar Andy Lau, and the rest is history.