Every now and then the internet, responsible for all manner of social ills, does something extraordinarily beautiful.
After a BBC report about Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong’s search for his father, social media users helped to unite the star with a family that didn’t know he existed.
Their efforts culminated this month, the BBC reports, when the veteran actor met for the first time with his two half-brothers, 74-year-old British-born twins who reside in Australia.
The meeting came after a lifetime of searching for Wong, who earlier this year spoke to BBC Chinese about trying to find his British father, a former Hong Kong government official who left when he was 4 years old.
Possessing only a handful of photos and knowing little more than his name — Frederick William Perry — and some basic biographical details, Wong said he hoped the internet would help him find some answers.
The day after the story ran, a Facebook group was set up to do just. In particular, three women following the page began looking for information and passing it on to the actor. Eventually, someone reached out to twins John and David Perry, who upon watching the documentary, immediately recognized their father.
“We were quite amazed about the whole thing,” John Perry, told the BBC.
The trio met in Hong Kong on March 20 to piece together the story of their father, who passed away in 1988. Perry Sr had been a Royal Air Force Pilot who moved to Hong Kong in 1955 with his wife and family, including David and John. While his family returned to the UK, Perry remained in Hong Kong and met Wong’s Cantonese mother.
He then left for Australia to join his other family, exchanging letters with Wong’s mother for several years before dropping out of contact, according to the article.
The Perry brothers told the BBC said they were not upset about learning of their father’s secret, saying they wanted Wong to feel like part of the family.
They said they knew nothing of his renowned acting career, which includes more than 150 films and four Hong Kong Film Awards trophies.
Wong called it “a life lesson” — that when he is finally able to make peace with the past, a new journey can begin.
“Dad used to say in his letters that if I was a good boy, he would take care of everything for me,” he told BBC.
“I think he knows I’ve become a good boy since then and he’s sent two brothers to me.”
