Taiwanese artist Shi Banyu, who was dubbed as the “designated dubbing artist for Stephen Chow,” passed away in Beijing on the 17th due to a sudden heart attack at the age of 66. Stephen Chow mourned Shi Banyu on IG, saying, “Forever cherish Mr. Shi Banyu.”
Born in 1958 in Taiwan as Shi Renmao, Shi Banyu first provided Mandarin dubbing for Stephen Chow’s film “God of Gamblers” in 1991. Since then, Shi Banyu became the designated dubbing artist for Stephen Chow, providing dubbing for about 30 works in nearly 20 years including “Royal Tramp,” “Fight Back to School,” “Flirting Scholar,” “God of Cookery,” “Shaolin Soccer,” “Kung Fu Hustle,” “CJ7,” and “The Mermaid.” In the hearts of many, Shi Banyu’s voice is synonymous with Stephen Chow’s films.
Shi Banyu once mentioned in an interview, “Many people think it is Stephen Chow’s own voice in the movies, for me, that is the greatest praise and sense of achievement!”
Apart from movies, when Stephen Chow came to Taiwan for commercial filming, Shi Banyu lent his voice, with his exaggerated laughter becoming his trademark. Stephen Chow expressed his gratitude, acknowledging that it was Shi Banyu’s voice that spread his movies throughout the Chinese-speaking world.
In addition to Stephen Chow’s films, Shi Banyu also provided dubbing for other works like “Young and Dangerous,” “Die Hard,” and “The Storm Riders.” It is reported that he has dubbed for over 300 film and television dramas throughout his career, including the TV series “The Legend of White Snake,” where he provided dubbing for 16 characters.
According to Taiwanese media reports, prior to his career as a dubbing artist, Shi Banyu worked as a radio sound engineer and later obtained a tour guide license. In recent years, his health deteriorated, with him experiencing cough symptoms since 2022, which did not improve despite treatment. Later, it was discovered that he was suffering from invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, and he was in and out of hospitals in 2023 with his body visibly deteriorating. His condition worsened with symptoms of lung infection.
Recent reports indicated that Shi Banyu’s condition deteriorated rapidly, ultimately leading to his passing due to a sudden heart attack. His agent mentioned that “things happened very suddenly” and expressed regret that “he never wrote a book about his dubbing career.”
After the news of Shi Banyu’s passing spread, his family posted a “death notice” on his WeChat Moments in his tone, announcing, “Dear old friends, new friends, I urgently need to go to another world to record, won’t be playing with you for now! Bye, I’m off first! Ha~ Ha~ Ha~ Ha~” The statement was as playful and cheerful as his voiceovers in the movies.
The “death notice” revealed that Shi Banyu’s farewell ceremony will be held in Beijing on the 20th. Stephen Chow posted on IG, “Forever cherish Mr. Shi Banyu.” Netizens also expressed shock and sadness, saying it was “too sudden.”