‘Queen of comedy’ Lydia Sum did everything from the heart
The late Lydia Sum Tin-ha, also known as Lydia Shum, was a Hong Kong comedian, actress and emcee whose presence in the city’s entertainment industry influenced three generations.
Known for her boisterous laugh, black-framed glasses and plump figure, she first gained mainstream recognition with appearances on the variety show
Enjoy Yourself Tonight, after which she became a prolific comedic actress.
She was affectionately known by her nickname Fei Fei (“fat fat” in Cantonese) – the actress regularly poked fun at her own physique – and is regarded as Hong Kong’s queen of comedy, warmly remembered for bringing joy and positivity to audiences.
Born in Shanghai in 1945, Sum moved to Hong Kong as a child and made her film debut in 1960 after signing with Shaw Brothers Studios.
As she appeared in more films Sum began gaining recognition, but it was only in 1967, after joining broadcaster TVB and co-hosting variety show Enjoy
Yourself Tonight, that she shot
to stardom.
At the time, television producer Robert Chua Wah-peng invited Sum to be part of the show because he was looking for someone who “appeared like anyone’s family”, he told the Post in 2008.
It was during her time on the show that Sum became beloved among fans for her jovial demeanour and distinctive cackle, both of which were also seen in the films she appeared in.
These included The House of
72 Tenants (1973), which starred Sum as a principled laundress tenant. The Cantonese-language production surpassed Bruce Lee’s
Enter the Dragon to become the top local film at that year’s Hong Kong box office.
The actress, who was also given the nickname “happy fruit”, later starred in a wide range of films. They include Drunken Tai
Chi (1984), the acting debut of Donnie Yen Ji-dan, and the Lunar New Year comedy It’s a Mad, Mad,
Mad World (1987), which tells of how a family is changed after they win the lottery.
While Sum did not always play leading characters – she was sometimes typecast as the dependable good friend – the actress remained ever likeable and a constant in the entertainment industry, a rare feat for someone who did not fit the mould of a typical film star.
“I stand out because I am special, because I am fat,” she once said. “Am I not beautiful? I think I am. I have a lot of confidence in myself. I may be fat, but I look good too. As long as the audience accepts me, that’s enough.”
Sum appeared in more than 100 films and hosted more than 5,000 variety shows, but she did not limit herself to just those two forms of entertainment. In the 1970s, Sum ventured into music.
She became a member of the Cantopop group Four Golden Flowers along with Liza Wang Ming-chun, Teresa Cheung Tak-lan and Wong Oi-ming. She also sang alongside Roman Tam Pak-sin.
In 1991, she shot a 60-episode drama series called Auntie Lydia
and Uncle Bill for ATV, which featured Sum as an advertising manager who moves to Canada.
While the actress had a wildly successful career, her personal life was filled with ups and downs. After marrying Hong Kong actor and singer Adam Cheng Siu-chau in 1985, the couple got a divorce in 1988, eight months after Sum gave birth to their daughter, the Cantopop singer Joyce Cheng Yan-yee.
At the time she was heartbroken, according to a Post article from 1990. “I thought of ending my life and retiring permanently from ... show business,” Sum said.
But two things kept her going: her daughter and elderly mother.
The actress became a single parent; in the 90s, Sum emigrated to Vancouver, Canada with her daughter and raised her there. Despite having left Hong Kong, she returned often for work.
Sum eventually made her way back to Asia a few years later, and starred in the Singaporean television sitcom, Living with
Lydia, from 2001 to 2005 – her first English-speaking role.
While Sum dealt with several health issues over the years – diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure – her health took a turn for the worse in the 2000s. In 2002, she had 32 gallstones removed, and in 2006 she was diagnosed with cancer of the liver and gallbladder.
A year later, in October 2007, Sum collapsed at home and was admitted to hospital. She was visited by her daughter and her ex-husband, who told the Post he had not seen Sum for a long time and learned about her condition through the media and friends.
A month later, in November 2007, Sum was once again taken to hospital after attending a friend’s birthday party in Macau. It was at this time she made her final TV appearance, during which she received a lifetime achievement award from TVB.
In February 2008, at the age of 62, Sum died at Queen Mary Hospital. Her death brought condolences from well-wishers in Hong Kong and worldwide, with many of Sum’s peers, colleagues and fans noting her impact and legacy.
“Fei Fei cheered up Hong Kong people, who grew up with her laughter,” Stephen Chan Chi-wan, then the general manager for broadcasting at TVB, said, describing Sum as a Hong Kong icon who represented the Hong Kong spirit.
In Canada, a few days after Sum’s death, Vancouver’s then mayor, Sam Sullivan, declared June 1 “Fei Fei Day” to honour Sum’s birthday.
“I would like to acknowledge her legacy as a great artist and as a great supporter of many community services in Vancouver,” he said at a city council meeting that was attended by Sum’s daughter, Joyce Cheng.
“I know right now my mother must be laughing out loud – her signature laugh, loud and proud – knowing that her birthday this year will be Ms Fei Fei Day in the city of Vancouver,” Cheng said at the time.