Veteran Hong Kong actor becomes unlikely Santa Claus
Chinese netizens are posting pictures featuring an old man with a red hat and white beard to celebrate Christmas, but this time it is not the usual Santa Claus.
Elvis Tsui, a veteran Hong Kong actor, has become the latest Internet sensation after the character he played in the movie Royal Tramp (1992) has been found to look a bit similar to Santa — both with a red hat and white beard.
The movie was adapted from The Deer and the Cauldron, a novel by late Hong Kong novelist Louis Cha. Tsui played Oboi, a cruel and power-hungry official who plots to usurp the emperor's throne in the novel.
Netizens are sharing the pictures of Tsui and wishing each other a Merry Christmas, and even Tsui himself has responded to the phenomenon.
On his official Weibo account, Tsui said: “It’s Christmas and the old man with a red hat and white beard is bringing you the best wishes!”
It is not the first time that netizens have made fun of Tsui’s image.
As Tsui is known for the long-haired characters in some of his movies, netizens photoshopped his image onto Aquaman and Thor, and joked that he was a 100 percent fit for the original characters.