Benz Hui's ballad of a small player

A public outpouring of grief over veteran Hong Kong actor Benz Hui's death has shone a spotlight on how even perennial supporting characters like him can leave an indelible mark in the hearts of the audience.

- Magdalene Fung Hong Kong Correspondent

Hui's death at age 76 on Oct 28 from multiple organ failure caused by cancer triggered a wave of emotion online and in entertainment circles across the region's Chinese-speaking cities.

Celebrities, politicians and regular TV viewers - including Singapore's former MP Lee Bee Wah, singer JJ Lin and actors Ben Yeo and Collin Chee took to social media to post their condolences and recount their interactions with him.

In Hong Kong, his celebrity coworkers including Tavia Yeung, Miriam Yeung, Carlos Chan and Chau Pak Ho - all of whom had acted alongside him in broadcaster TVB's productions over the years - expressed their grief over his demise and gratitude for his informal mentoring in the early stages of their working life in show business.

Hui, dubbed the King of Supporting Actors, had a career that spanned more than five decades, including during the golden age of Hong Kong television when the territory was among the top producers of popular culture across the region.

His illustrious career and well-earned moniker embodied a learning point for his audiences: We don't have to be the star, and we can still find success and fulfilment as side characters in the subplots of life.

Hui might never have made his way onto the TV screen had it not been for his "hideous" looks when he tried his luck signing up for TVB's inaugural Artist Training Class in 1971.