Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
🎨

Godfrey Gao

arts Maturity 7-9 death dying Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: death_dying. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Godfrey Gao was a prominent Taiwanese-Canadian model and actor. He achieved significant recognition within the global fashion and entertainment industries. Gao was often described as Asia's first male supermodel. He also made history as the first Asian male model featured in a Louis Vuitton campaign. His work spanned across high-fashion photography, international film, and popular television dramas. He was admired for his ability to transition from the runway to the screen.

Gao's professional journey involved several distinct stages of development. He returned to Taiwan in 2004 to begin his modeling career. During this period, he was managed by JetStar Entertainment. He became part of a collective known as the "Fashion F4." This group included fellow models Sphinx Ting, Victor Chen, and Lan Chun-tien. They even published a joint book in 2009 to share their work.

His acting career followed a steady progression from minor to leading roles. He began appearing in small roles in Chinese television dramas in 2006. By 2010, he secured his first starring role in the drama Volleyball Lover. In 2013, he made his American film debut. He played the character Magnus Bane in the film adaptation of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. Later, his performance as Wang Lichuan in the 2016 series Remembering Lichuan earned him great acclaim. This role led Chinese media to give him the nickname "the nation's husband."

Gao's personal background influenced his multicultural identity. He was born on 22 September 1984, in Taipei, Taiwan. His father was of Shanghainese descent and worked as a general manager at Michelin Taiwan. His mother was a Malaysian of Peranakan Chinese descent from George Town. She had previously won the Miss Penang beauty pageant in 1970. As a child, Gao moved to North Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada. He attended Queensbury Elementary School and Argyle Secondary School. He later studied at Capilano University, where he played for the school's basketball team.

In the years leading up to 2019, Gao maintained a very active schedule. He appeared in various films including Wedding Bible in 2015 and Love is a Broadway Hit in 2017. He also provided the voice for the Chinese version of the film Toy Story 3 in 2010. His filmography includes many titles such as Legend of the Ancient Sword and Shanghai Fortress. This wide range of work showed his versatility as a performer. He was able to work in both romantic comedies and action-oriented productions.

On 27 November 2019, Gao passed away while working in Ningbo. He was filming a sports reality television series called Chase Me for Zhejiang Television. The producers stated that Gao died from cardiac arrest, which is a sudden failure of the heart. At the time of his collapse, he had reportedly been filming for 17 hours. Following his collapse, medical staff attempted resuscitation for nearly three hours. This event caused significant concern regarding the safety of reality television productions.

Gao's death prompted a broader discussion about labor and safety standards. Director Xu Zheng stated that producers must be held responsible for working conditions. The series involved contestants performing physically strenuous challenges late at night. Zhejiang Television expressed deep regret and said they were willing to take responsibility for the consequences. Gao's remains were returned to Taiwan on 2 December 2019. His family held a Buddhist funeral ceremony in Taiwan on 15 December 2019. He is now interred at Chin Pao San.

574 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.