Remembering Taiwanese-Canadian Actor: Godfrey Gao (1984-2019) 悼念加籍台灣演員：高以翔

Written by Jennifer J. Lau
Translated by Jing Wang
Images from Flickr and Facebook

Godfrey Gao at Comic Con 2013. Source: Flickr.

It is with saddened hearts that we remember the young Taiwanese-Canadian actor and model, Godfrey Gao (高以翔). 我們以沈痛的心情悼念英年早逝的加籍台灣演員，高以翔。

Gao died while filming in a Zhejiang Television production “Chase Me” 《追我吧》 — a new reality television show first introduced to audiences in September 2019. The show had recruited various artists including Hong Kong-born actor William Chan (陳偉霆) and Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao (蕭敬騰) with the objective of having the artists compete against one other in physical activities. Gao collapsed on set on Wednesday. He was sent to hospital and succumbed to a heart attack. The news has flooded Chinese media platform, Weibo, with many fans sharing their grief.

高以翔在2019年錄製浙江衛視的真人秀新節目《追我吧》時不幸去世。這檔以藝人們互相比拼挑戰體能為目標的真人秀集結了各式各樣的明星，譬如香港演員陳偉霆和台灣歌手蕭敬騰。在11月27日（週三）錄製時，高突然倒地，送醫後后終因心源性猝死不幸离世。此新聞瞬間傳遍中國的各大媒體平台，令眾多粉絲悲痛不已。

Godfrey Gao for Louis Vuitton. Source: Godfrey Gao / Facebook

We want to remember some of Gao’s achievements over his short life and 15-year acting and modelling career. May it serve as an inspiration for us to continue to chase transnational dreams. Upon graduating from Capilano University in British Columbia, Gao would become the first Asian male model for the luxury conglomerate LVMH in 2011. Over the next few years he would participate in various campaigns including the promotion of the Louis Vuitton Time Capsule Exhibition in Hong Kong. Perhaps many of our audiences will also recognize him from his roles in over a dozen Taiwanese dramas.

在這裡，我們想回顧一下高以翔短短一生中15年的演藝生涯，希望能以此激勵大家繼續追逐跨越國境的夢想。從英屬哥倫比亞的卡普蘭諾大學畢業後，高在2011年成為首位登上奢侈品巨頭LVMH全球形象廣告的亞洲男模。在接下來的幾年裡，他參與了各式各樣的廣告宣傳活動，其中包括LV在香港的時空膠囊展。當然，他更為大眾所熟知的作品可能是他所參與的十幾部台灣電視劇。

He starred in the Hollywood film adaptation of Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series as Magnus Bane, the bisexual magician with very complicated family relationships. The 2013 film, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, was co-produced between two companies in Germany and Canada. It received mixed reviews from critics but did have strong box office support during its opening weekend — grossing over $9 million in the U.S. alone. In Canada, the film won several awards at the Canadian Screen Awards.

在好萊塢改編的Cassandra Clare的《骸骨之城》裡，高飾演一個有著複雜家庭關係的雙性戀魔術師Magnus Bane。這部2013年的電影由德國和加拿大的兩家公司共同製作。雖然影評人對這部片子褒貶不一，但它開映首週末就獲得了不俗的票房--單在美國市場就有900萬的入帳。在加拿大，這部片子則將Canadian Screen Awards的好幾個獎項收入囊中。

Gao’s last cinematic work would be Teng Huatao’s Shanghai Fortress (2019) — a science-fiction piece based on the novel by fantasy writer Jiang Nan. Opposite Lu Han, former K-pop group EXO member, and Shu Qi, the iconic Taiwanese actress, Gao played an artillery commander in a futuristic Shanghai.

We hope his daring move to Asia from Canada to pursue the next steps of his career will be remembered and that you have the opportunity to see his excellent work that touched audiences around the world. May he rest in peace.

高的最後一部大螢幕作品是滕華濤的《上海堡壘》（2019）— 一部由江南小說改編的科幻作品。電影中，高飾演一個火砲司令員，和前Kpop組合EXO成員鹿晗以及知名台灣演員舒淇演對手戲。

我們希望能銘記他從加拿大去亞洲拓展演藝事業的勇敢舉動，也希望大家能有機會觀看他那些感動人心的作品。願他安息。