Fans recall Patrick Tse’s gracious response after prank caller asked for son Nicholas Tse

Following the death of veteran actor Patrick Tse Yin on Monday (Jul 20), tributes poured in online, with one widely shared social media post recalling how a schoolboy prank call intended for his son, singer Nicholas Tse Ting-fung, was instead picked up by Tse himself – with unexpected warmth that left commenters calling him "a big star with no big-star attitude."

The author recalled that back when Nicholas Tse had just launched his singing career and was performing his hit "Bad Habit," a diehard fan among their schoolmates got hold of the family's home number at Redhill Peninsula. Egged on by friends, three middle schoolers set up a three-way call to reach the young singer – only for Patrick Tse to answer instead, greeting them with a playful, drawn-out "Hello."

When asked nervously if Nicholas was home, he replied gently: "He's not here. How did you get my number?" with no hint of anger. When the boys apologized for the intrusion, Patrick Tse laughed it off: "He hardly comes home these days, so no need to call again – ha ha." The author said that the final laugh was so vivid it felt almost audible. A memory many commenters said they could practically "hear" through the post.

Other users shared similar brushes with Patrick Tse, recalling him holding a mall door open with a "lady first," gently teaching a young Nicholas to wait his turn in line decades ago, and, even in old age, greeting strangers on the street or at airports with an easy smile and nod.

Some teased the author for behavior that today might be seen as obsessive fandom; the author conceded it was reckless in hindsight, noting a friend had tracked down the number through fan-club connections. Others recalled similarly innocent schoolyard antics of their own, saying the post revived shared childhood memories while reaffirming Patrick Tse's reputation for treating everyone with the same courtesy.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓