Michael Tse’s Laughing Gor Character Was So Popular, “Over 200,000” Fans Mourned His Death In E.U.

Fans doing silly — or downright crazy and creepy — things for their idols is far from a new phenomenon.

Back in 2009, Hongkong actor Michael Tse, 54, landed his breakout role as undercover cop Leung Siu Tong aka Laughing Gor in TVB series E.U.

The character was such a hit with audiences that he got two movie spin-offs, Turning Point and Turning Point 2, as well as a drama sequel, Lives of Omission.

And judging from the super dramatic reactions to Laughing Gor dying towards the end of E.U, we can totally see why producers wanted to bank on his popularity and release more shows centred around him.

Michael as Laughing Gor in E.U.

Recently, Michael made an appearance on a Chinese variety show and spoke about some of the more, um, dedicated fans he’s encountered throughout his career.

According to Michael, the day after the episode showing Laughing Gor’s death aired, “over 200,000 people” went online to mourn the character, as if he were a real person.

Some of the more creative ones even Photoshopped Laughing Gor’s picture into funeral altars to hold memorial services online (seriously?) and edited screenshots to make it look as though news anchors were reporting on his passing.

We’d be a little creeped out if someone did this with our photo

This could seriously cause some misunderstandings

Apparently, it was Michael’s wife Tina who alerted him to the fact that netizens were paying their respects to him in that manner on the internet. And Michael's response was to utter a Cantonese phrase which can be basically translated as “touch wood”. We don’t blame him.

“But the whole experience was very interesting,” he said.

Michael’s enjoying a surge of popularity again thanks to Call Me By Fire

Photos: Michael Tse/Weibo, HK01

Interesting but creepy

The over-the-top fan behaviour — plus their numerous messages expressing their hope that Laughing Gor is still alive — certainly didn’t go unnoticed by TVB, who resurrected him in E.U. sequel Lives of Omission by explaining that he had faked his death so he could go on an undercover mission in China.

Guess we all know what to do the next time we’re unhappy with our favourite character’s death on a TV show.