Godfrey Gao Dies At 35: Actor Chris Pang Leads Tributes To Taiwanese-Canadian Supermodel And Actor

Fans and members of the entertainment industry have paid tribute to actor and model Godfrey Gao following his tragic death.

Gao, who grew up in British Columbia and was an ambassador for Canadian tourism, collapsed and died while shooting a TV show on Wednesday. 

Australian actor Chris Pang said Gao was “genuine” person who will be greatly missed. 

“There wasn’t a more genuine guy. Godfrey was one of the good ones and he led the way for us,” Crazy Rich Asians star Pang told HuffPost Australia on Wednesday.

“The community and the world lost an irreplaceable star today. We’ll miss you. I’m floored and this should not have happened.” 

Gao’s agency JetStar Entertainment confirmed that Gao passed away in the “early hours of Nov. 27” in a statement posted to Weibo and cited by South China Morning Post and Women’s Wear Daily .

Gao, 35, was filming “Chase Me,” a reality TV show for China’s Zhejiang Television that features competitive sports, in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo, according to Apple Daily .

“Our beloved Godfrey collapsed while filming on set. Unfortunately following three hours of medical rescue efforts, he left us,” said JetStar’s statement. It added that his family “rushed to the scene.”

Gao was born in Taipei, but he grew up in North Vancouver, B.C. and graduated from Capilano University.

In 2011, he became the first Asian male model for luxury brand Louis Vuitton. A few years later, he appeared in Hollywood movies “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” and “The Jade Pendant,” followed by starring roles in several Chinese and Taiwanese blockbusters.

In 2015, he became an ambassador for the Canadian Tourism Commission , hosting a a travel program aimed at drumming up interest among visitors from China.

“I grew up in B.C. It is one of the most beautiful provinces in Canada. Vancouver is so multicultural and that’s one of the things I enjoyed most while growing up in Vancouver, as you get everything from culture to cuisine,” Gao told HuffPost B.C. in 2016 .

With additional reporting by HuffPost Canada Staff.