Wai Ching Ho Dies: Marvel's Madame Gao Actress Was 82

Wai Ching Ho, the actress known for playing Madame Gao in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has died at the age of 82, according to Deadline.

Her passing was met with tributes from colleagues who worked with her across stage and screen.

How did her co-stars react?

Peter Shinkoda, who played Kagenobu Yoshioka opposite Ho's Madame Gao on Netflix's Daredevil, was among the first to share memories. "Just lost someone very special to me. She was one of the coolest. Thinking aloud," he wrote in an Instagram post. In another, he added, "I won’t ever forget you. I learned every minute from you when we were together on and off set."

Actress Mahira Kakkar, who shared a dressing room with Ho during a 2018 stage production, also paid tribute. "I had the enormous good fortune to work with Wai Ching Ho... She was incredible-warm, funny, caring, joyful, positive and a truly wonderful actor," Kakkar recalled on Instagram.

What was her career like?

Born in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong, Ho made her onscreen debut in the 1990 film Cadillac Man. Her filmography grew to include roles in Soapdish (1991), Happiness (1998), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010), and Hustlers (2019).

She appeared in Disney's Turning Red in 2022. On television, her credits ranged from Law & Order and Orange is the New Black to Awkwafina is Nora from Queens and Only Murders in the Building.

Ho originated the role of the formidable Madame Gao in Netflix's Daredevil, later reprising it in the spin-off series Iron Fist and The Defenders. She remained active in theater, appearing in off-Broadway productions as recently as 2022.