Acclaimed film and stage actor Tse Kwan-Ho was born on March 23, 1963. Tse has been ranked among the finest actors working in Hong Kong, and yet it wouldn't be surprising if you haven't heard of him, as Tse’s theatre credits are much more extensive than his film credits. After graduating from the Hong Kong Academy For Performing Arts in 1989, Tse joined the government-supported Hong Kong Repertory Theatre. He was with them for 8 years, during which he became the Repertory’s youngest chief actor ever. In 1997 Tse joined Raymond To and Clifton Ko’s Spring Time Stage Productions Limited and took part in such productions as “Pygmalion” and “Magic is the Moonlight”, the latter being a stage update of the 1984 Tsui Hark film Shanghai Blues (both the film and stage version were written by playwright Raymond To). As a freelance actor, Tse appeared with fellow HKAPA graduate and colleague Anthony Wong in “To Kill or Be Killed” (2000) and was in the 2002 stage adaptation of “Love In a Fallen City”. He has also directed several plays.

The role that Tse is best known for is that of the stubborn and eccentric genius “Mr. Thirteen” in the film Mad Phoenix (1997). The role is one that he’s played hundreds of times onstage, and his film performance earned him the Golden Horse Award for Best Actor at the 1998 Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan. Tsehas also been part of the stage and film adaptations of I Have a Date With Spring (1994) and The Umbrella Story (1995). Tse was also nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Award at the 20th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards for his performance in Ann Hui's Ordinary Heroes (1999). His recent film work includes an intense performance in Possessed (2002) as a priest struggling with his faith after his wife's death. Recently, Tse starred with Ada Choi in the sleeper hit The Miracle Box (2004), a movie based on the life and times of Dr. Joanna Tse that broke the HK box office record for Christian/gospel films.

Despite the attention and opportunities afforded to Tse after winning the Golden Horse Award, he opted to continue with theatre work rather than expand his presence in the world of film. Tse’s affinity and love for theatre can also be found in other graduates of the HK Academy for Performing Arts. Among them is the aforementioned Anthony Wong, who has reportedly stated that his heart and passion lies in the theatre while everything else is just work. Tse still remains an active player in the HK theatre scene, but has begun taking on more television parts, recently starring in the TVB series “Dreams of Colours”. He has also lent his voice to post-production dubbing for films like The Tai-Chi Master (1993)—for Chin Siu-Ho’s “Tian Bao”—and Once Upon a Time in China III (1993) for the character of “Club Foot”. It has been commented that Tse captured the essence of Chow Yun-Fat perfectly when he redubbed Chow's voice in the 1999 remastered release of Lost Romance (1986). (Yinique 2004)