Godfrey Gao remembered: 5 facts about the crossover actor, Toy Story voice star and first male Asian model to be signed by Louis Vuitton

Nov 27 , 2019

Taiwanese-Canadian model and actor Godfrey Gao died suddenly on set of Chinese reality TV show Chase Me, aged 35.

Taiwanese-Canadian actor Godfrey Gao died today suddenly, after earlier collapsing on the set of Chinese reality TV show Chase Me – we remember an Asian icon who crossed worlds

Taiwanese-Canadian actor Godfrey Gao was only 35 when he collapsed during the filming of Chinese reality television show Chase Me. The series features teams competing in races of physical strength.

He was quickly hospitalised but it was later confirmed that he had died in the early hours of Wednesday morning (November 27).

Taiwanese agency JetStar Entertainment issued a statement confirming that the actor had passed away. The tributes to Gao have been flooding in from friends and fans of the 35-year-old star in the hours since.

Behind-the-scenes shots of Godfrey Gao's Louis Vuitton campaign

The STYLE team had the pleasure of interviewing the model-actor during a short trip to Hong Kong in 2015. Gao recalled how his mother, who used to work for a cosmetics company, would bestow on him self-care tips from an early age.

“‘Wash your face, be a clean boy’” – I used to run around outside, sweat a lot in the sun, and got really dark and dirty, especially when I played in the fields. She always told me to wash my face when I got home,” recalled the Taiwanese native.

Here are five other ways we’d like to remember the talented star.

1. He was the first male Asian model to be signed by Louis Vuitton

Gao earned a brand ambassadorial role for Louis Vuitton in their spring/summer 2011 campaign, becoming the first male Asian model to represent the luxury brand.

Godfrey Gao at a Louis Vuitton event in Shanghai, in 2012.

The accolade marked a surge in Chinese market influence on luxury brands. Now, we see many familiar Asian faces cropping up as brand ambassadors for the high-end market.

2. He was proudly Taiwanese and Vancouver-raised