(Hong Kong) Veteran Hong Kong musician and actor Teddy Robin, 81, whose original name is Kwan Wai-pang, has rarely appeared in public in recent years. He was recently spotted by a netizen at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Wearing his hair in a ponytail and dressed casually, he waved warmly as passers-by and fans raised their phones to film him. He walked with a spring in his step and appeared in good spirits.
Teddy Robin was active on Hong Kong’s music scene in the 1960s with his band Teddy Robin and the Playboys, becoming one of the city’s rock music pioneers. He later moved into film, working as an actor, producer and film composer, among other roles. He has won Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Film Score. He has scaled back his performances in recent years, with no new work released since the 2023 film Band Four (《4拍4家族》).
His distinctive physique is one of the features audiences remember most about him. Many assume he was born with dwarfism, but his stature is in fact linked to an injury and illness during childhood.
According to Hong Kong media reports, Teddy Robin injured his spine in a fall at the age of three, and medical treatment proved unsuccessful. He later developed spinal tuberculosis following a bacterial infection. His condition became critical, and he reportedly had only a 2% chance of survival.
Doctors reportedly declared at the time that he would not live past 50. Now in his 80s, he remains full of vitality, and his rare public appearance has reassured film and music fans concerned about him.
