The Hong Kong movie mogul Run Run Shaw died at age 106. He made over 1,000 movies and led Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB).
His studio gave his age as 107, but his age according to the Western counting method may have been 106 because Chinese traditionally consider a child to be 1 at birth, according to the Associated Press.
Best known for nurturing rising stars like Chow Yun-fat and director John Woo, Shaw’s films also inspired Quentin Tarantino and other filmmakers. His Shaw Brothers Studios churned gave young directors like Woo their start. Shaw (pronounced Shao in Mandarin) was also a dominant force in television in Hong Kong. Wong Kar Wai, the director who created The Grandmaster, nominated for Best Foreign Language film this year, got his start through a TVB training course.
Shaw was born the sixth of seven children to a wealthy textile merchant. Elder brother Runme Shaw set up a silent film studio and another brother, Runje, went to Singapore to market films to southeast Asia's Chinese community.
Shaw is survived by four children and nine grandchildren, according to the The Hollywood Reporter.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
