Ko Tin-lung

In this Chinese name, the family name is Ko.

Ko Tin-lung (1954 – 23 June 2022) was a Hong Kong actor, director and radio presenter.^[1] He won four Hong Kong Drama Awards in the categories Best Actor and Best Director. Ko directed the stage play I Have a Date With Spring, which was adapted into a film by Clifton Ko. He died in June 2022 in his sleep at the age of 69.^[2]

Ko Tin-lung
古天農
Born	1954 (1954)
Died	June 23, 2022(2022-06-23) (aged 67–68)
Occupations	Actor, director, radio presenter

Biography

Ko grew up in Wong Tai Sin District, Kowloon in his early years. He attended Choi Po Sin School (Primary Section), Fatima English Primary School and St. Francis Xavier's College.^[3] Organize school drama activities together with former director of Planning Department Ling Kar-kan.^[3] When Ko Tin Lung was in the second grade of elementary school, he was selected by the teacher to perform the "white swan spoon dance"^[a] at the Kai Tak Amusement Park.^[4] Later, one time, the principal blamed a certain classmate in the classroom for being too noisy, Ko stepped forward, which left the principal a bad image.^[3] Unable entered the "sixth form" preparatory course, he transferred to New Method College to complete the course and was admitted to the Chinese University of Hong Kong.^[3] He graduated from the Sociology Department of Chung Chi College.

His interest in drama began in middle school, and he was accompanied by drama throughout his middle school and university days. While in university, he was warned for frequently skipping classes to attend rehearsals. After obtaining a degree in 1979, he studied the Diploma of Education of the University of Hong Kong, and also served as an English and economics teacher at Chan Shu Kui Memorial Secondary School. It was not until 1983 that he joined the Hong Kong Repertory Theater as a full-time actor and started a full-time drama career.

When Ko first joined the Hong Kong Repertory Theater, he worked as an actor, and later participated in the writing and directing of some short plays. The first self-written and directed stage play during his time in Hong Kong Repertory Theater is called "Between Teachers and Students"^[b]. In 1988, he received a scholarship from the Asian Cultural Council to study in New York, USA; he returned to Hong Kong a year later and was promoted to Assistant Artistic Director of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre. In 1993, he transferred to the Chung Ying Theatre Company as the artistic director, becoming the troupe's first Chinese artistic director. He has successively served as the editor, director and actor of many dramas. Among them, I Have a Date with Spring and The Mad Pheonix with Raymond To are the most successful.^[1]

On June 23, 2022, Ko Tin-lung was found to have died in his sleep. The news was announced by Raymond To on the same day. The police believed that the incident was not suspicious and the cause of death could not be confirmed yet.^[2]

Notes

1. Chinese 白天鵝匙羹舞
2. literal translation from the Chinese title 師生之間