Wai Ching Ho, the actress known for playing Madame Gao in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has died. She was 82.
The actress’ Daredevil co-star Peter Shinkoda was one of several to react to Wai’s passing on social media, after playing Gao’s The Hand supervillain organization co-founder Kagenobu Yoshioka on the Netflix series from 2015-’16.
“Just lost someone very special to me. She was one of the coolest. Thinking aloud,” he wrote in an Instagram post.
“I won’t ever forget you. I learned every minute from you when we were together on and off set,” Shinkoda added in another post. “I know wisdom – I’d hang on your every word. We will meet again, my friend. You were beautiful.”
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Mahira Kakkar, who appeared with Wai in the National Asian American Theatre Company’s 2018 production of Henry VI, also paid tribute.
“I had the enormous good fortune to work with Wai Ching Ho and to share a dressing room with her. She was incredible-warm, funny, caring, joyful, positive and a truly wonderful actor. At the age of 82? 83?” recalled Kakkar in the Instagram post. “She played a lead role-basically a female King Lear, and was riveting. She would say to us-Eat two slices of raw ginger every day and you won’t get sick! For those of us who did not have a lot of role models and mentors in the industry Wai was a pillar. I am deeply grateful I got to know her and I am very sad she is gone. She also utterly refused to speak ill of anyone. My dear Wai you deserve all the standing ovations-what a stellar human and a stellar artist. What an example of how to live.”
Judy Lei, who starred with Wai in The World’s Greatest (2022), which she also wrote and directed, shared memories of working with Wai.
“Wai Ching was super kind and generous when she played the Chinese School teacher in my first film back in 2019. We had lost our filming location close to midnight the night before and I broke the news to her in the morning. She came to the new location, all prepped and ready to play—she even brought her own outfit. I forgot to have her sign some paperwork and went to her home a few days later to have her sign it. She never displayed an ounce of disappointment in my lack of experience. That type of grace is something I’ll never forget. She came to the NYC premiere at @asiancinevision #aaiff and I was once again embarrassed and unsure if she likes the venue or the how the film turned out. She did and I am so grateful for her to have said yes to the project,” she wrote on Instagram.
Born Nov. 16, 1943 in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong, Wai’s onscreen debut came in the 1990 Robin Williams-starrer Cadillac Man. She went on to roles in Soapdish (1991), Happiness (1998), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010), Tracers (2015), Set It Up (2018), Hustlers (2019) and Disney’s Turning Red (2022).
Wai also appeared on shows like One Life to Live, Swans Crossing, Law & Order, New Amsterdam, Flight of the Conchords, Blue Bloods, Orange is the New Black, Fresh Off the Boat, Awkwafina is Nora from Queens and Only Murders in the Building.
After originating the role of Madame Gao in Netflix’s Daredevil, Wai reprised her performance in the spin-off shows Iron Fist and The Defenders.
On stage, Wai appeared in Celine Song’s 2020 off-Broadway show Endlings, as well as Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig’s Snow in Midsummer in 2022.
