Star of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Godfrey Gao has died. According to Yahoo! Entertainment, the Taiwanese-Canadian actor died on Wednesday after collapsing during the filming of the Chinese reality show Chase Me having suffered sudden cardiac arrest. The actor, who was 35 at the time of his death, was reportedly rushed to the hospital following his collapse and died three hours later.
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Per the report, Gao’s death came during a late-night shoot for Chase Me. In the series, celebrities and regular contestants go head to head in a variety of physical challenges and athletic competitions, usually including running through cities late at night. A statement from producers of the series (via CNN) notes that Gao “suddenly fell down to the ground while running, medical staff treated him on the spot, he was then rushed to hospital for treatment. We feel extremely distressed and extremely sad.”
Born in Taiwan, Gao was largely raised in Canada and worked as both a model and an actor. In 2011, Gao was the first Asian man to model for Louis Vuitton and in 2013 he starred as Magnus Bane alongside Lena Headey and Lily Collins in the film The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. In addition to his work in that film, Gao also appeared in a number of Chinese-language television series.
News of Gao’s death has reportedly prompted a call for boycotts against Chase Me for what fans are describing as unreasonable demands made on contestants on China’s Weibo social media platform, according to NBC News. The actor’s death is also prompting tributes from those involved with the Shadowhunters television series, including Harry Shum Jr. who played the same character in the television series.
“I am shocked and heartbroken to hear of Godfrey Gao’s untimely passing,” he wrote. “He was a pioneer in the Asian community that stretched our imaginations on what was possible in the industry. To the original Magnus who left us way too soon, you left an impression on us that’ll last forever.”
Gao’s agency, JetStar Entertainment, has asked for his family to be allowed to mourn in private.
