Burt Kwouk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Burt Kwouk
|
|
|---|---|
Kwouk in Last of the Summer Wine
|
|
| Born |
Herbert Tsangtse Kwouk
郭弼 18 July 1930 Warrington, Lancashire, England
|
| Died | 24 May 2016 (aged 85) London, England
|
| Years active | 1957–2012 |
| Spouse(s) |
Caroline Tebbs
(m. 1961) |
| Children | 1 |
| Burt Kwouk | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 郭弼 | ||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
Herbert Tsangtse Kwouk (born 18 July 1930 – died 24 May 2016) was a British actor. He was famous for playing Cato in the Pink Panther movies. He also appeared in many TV shows. These included playing Major Yamauchi in Tenko and Entwistle in Last of the Summer Wine. He was awarded an OBE, which is a special honor from the British King or Queen.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Burt Kwouk was born on 18 July 1930 in Warrington, England. His parents were Chinese and were on a business trip in Europe. He grew up in Shanghai, China. His father was a very rich businessman in the textile industry.
From age 12 to 16, Burt went to a special school in Shanghai. He said it was like a famous school in England called Eton College. In 1947, he left China when his parents moved back to Britain. He went to the United States to finish his education. In 1953, he graduated from Bowdoin College in Maine. His family lost their money during the Chinese communist revolution in the 1940s. In 1954, he returned to Britain. A girlfriend encouraged him to try acting.
Acting Career Highlights
Burt Kwouk started his acting career in 1957. One of his first movie roles was in The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958). In this film, he helped the main character lead many orphans to safety.
Cato Fong in The Pink Panther
Kwouk became most famous for playing Cato Fong. Cato was the loyal but surprising manservant to Inspector Clouseau. This role first appeared in A Shot in the Dark (1964). Burt played Cato in six more Pink Panther movies. The funny part was that Cato was told to attack Clouseau at unexpected times. This was to keep Clouseau alert. These attacks often led to funny chaos and things getting broken.
Other Notable Roles
Burt Kwouk appeared in many TV shows in the 1960s. These included Danger Man and The Saint. He also had small roles in three James Bond movies. In Goldfinger (1964), he played Mr. Ling. He was also in Casino Royale (1967) and You Only Live Twice (1967).
Later, he played Major Yamauchi in the TV drama Tenko (1981–84). This role showed him as an honorable but mistaken character during World War II. He became a very recognizable face on British television. He even appeared as himself on The Harry Hill Show.
From 2002 to 2010, Burt had a regular role in the popular show Last of the Summer Wine. He played 'Electrical' Entwistle, one of the main characters. He also did voice acting for radio shows, video games, and TV ads.
Personal Life and Honors
Burt Kwouk married Caroline Tebbs in London in 1961. Their son, Christopher, was born in 1974. In 2011, Burt was given the honor of being an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This was for his great work in drama. In his later years, he lived in London.
Death
Burt Kwouk passed away on 24 May 2016. He was 85 years old and died from cancer.
See also
In Spanish: Burt Kwouk para niños
