Teething problems: Gordon Lam explains cause of Patrick Tse's crooked mouth was not stroke

Teething problems: Gordon Lam explains cause of Patrick Tse's crooked mouth was not stroke
Gordon Lam assured the public that Patrick Tse's crooked smile wasn't caused by a stroke.
PHOTO: Instagram/Gordon Lam, Screengrab/Weibo

He's one of the last few standing icons of Hong Kong showbiz, so when Patrick Tse appeared on stage with a crooked smile, audiences naturally worried the 85-year-old has had a stroke. 

In the Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) in July, Patrick became the oldest recipient of the Best Actor award for his role in the black comedy Time. When he removed his mask to speak on stage, the left side of his face was noticeably droopy — one of the signs of a stroke — thus causing him to have a crooked smile.

Speaking to Hong Kong media at an event on Monday (Aug 1), actor Gordon Lam assured the public that the crooked smile wasn't caused by a stroke — instead, it was due to some recent dental work that Patrick had.

Said Gordon: "He had dental treatment and it was a big procedure. For someone his age, a situation like this could happen. 

"His personal doctor kept reminding me not to let him remove his mask, because Patrick was worried about being in a place with so many people. He even thought for a long time about whether to attend the award ceremony, but chose to go because I was there with him the entire time."

The 54-year-old accompanied Patrick as his 'human walking aide' during the HKFA, caring for him throughout the duration of the ceremony.

Gordon also empathised with Patrick's plight, explaining: "If you removed my wisdom teeth, my gums would be swollen too. We really couldn't help it that the treatment was on the same day." 

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CgFVzS_vjVZ/?hl=en[/embed]

Gordon isn't the first to deny rumours of Patrick having a stroke. 

Patrick's longtime friend, 90-year-old veteran actor Bowie Wu, also rejected claims that Patrick had suffered a stroke, going further to say that Patrick wasn't in any bad health.

"What's wrong with him? We just had tea two weeks ago," Bowie told reporters soon after HKFA.

ALSO READ: 85-year-old Patrick Tse's 'crooked mouth' at Hong Kong Film Awards sparks concern over his health

khooyihang@asiaone.com

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