Lau Siu-ming, the veteran Hong Kong actor who played some of the most unforgettable villains in Chinese-language film history, has died at the age of 94.His story – from war refugee to classically trained dancer, and from stage to silver screen – is all the more remarkable because his career was built not on youthful leading-man looks but on artistry, physical precision and a mentoring spirit that shaped generations of actors who followed.Lau’s artistic journey is one of reinvention, shaped by a childhood that might have broken a lesser spirit. Born in Hong Kong in 1931, Lau was 10 when Japanese forces invaded and occupied the colony, and spent his teenage years as a refugee on the mainland.He eventually made his way back to the city, where a performance by a Chinese arts troupe at the newly opened Hong Kong City Hall in 1962 left him spellbound.A journey to Europe and backDetermined to study dance in France, he took a job working in the cargo hold of an ocean liner to pay his way to Europe. His talent and perseverance earned him a scholarship to the Ecole Superieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower in France in the early 1960s.