Burt Kwouk may have been best known for his role as Kato in the ‘Pink Panther’ films, but he was also a serious veteran performer with a vast list of credits to his name…
Burt Kwouk, the British actor known all over the world for his role as Cato Fong in the Pink Panther series has died at the age of 85. Although his cause of death has not yet been announced, his agent has confirmed with the Associated Press he has passed away peacefully. A private funeral is planned by the family and there will be a memorial at a later date.
Born in July 18, 1930 in Northwest England, Kwouk was raised in Shanghai with his parents. He family returned to England in 1954 after his family lost all their wealth from the 1949 Chinese Communist Revolution. It was when he resettled back in England that Kwouk decided to give acting a try, when a girlfriend nagged him to ‘get into it…‘ Apparently, this ‘nagging’ was much more of a premonition than spousal badgering and the entertainment world benefited from it.
In 1958, his first role in a big feature was in a supporting role in The Inn of the Sixth Happiness starring Ingrid Bergman. Kwouk subsequently became the mainstay in many British TV shows, especially where they required an Asian character for the scene.
It wasn’t until ten years after his acting debut that Kwouk played the iconic role of Cato Fong, the faithful manservant to Inspector Clouseau in Blake Edwards’ A Shot in the Dark starring the late Peter Sellers. The running comedic gag in the movie was for Cato to attack Clouseau when he least expected it… and which always end in total destruction and chaos. The on-camera chemistry chemistry between Kwouk and Sellers was always an audience favorite. As a result, Kwouk was brought back to reprise the character throughout the rest of the film series with Sellers. Even after Seller’s death, Kwouk continued to play the beloved Cato in The Curse of the Pink Panther (1983) starring Roger Moore and Son of the Pink Panther (1993) starring Roberto Benigni. In total, he brought the role of Cato in seven of the Pink Panther films.
Mr. Kwouk’s career in stage, TV, and film spans over 140 credits including Dr. Who, Empire of the Sun, The Water Margin, Kiss of the Dragon, The Saint, and three James Bond films- Goldfinger, Casino Royale (1967), and You Only Live Twice.
In 2011, he was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to Drama.
Kwouk is survived by his wife Carolyn Tebbs whom he married in 1961 and a son, Christopher.
BURT KWOUK 1930-2016
