There’s something very heart-wrenching about seeing someone, once super fit and full of vigour, succumbing to the ravages of time or being at the mercy of various physical ailments.

The latest star to raise concern and garner pity with his recent appearance is Gordon Liu, who is known for his many classic martial arts flicks as well as his roles in both Kill Bill films. The Chinese actor, who turns 65 on August 22, fell and hit his head after suffering a stroke in 2011, leaving him partially paralysed and wheelchair-bound. He then retreated from the public eye to focus on his recovery.

Recently, a Hongkong media outlet managed to capture a rare shot of Gordon out and about being pushed around in his wheelchair (see below). Despite being dressed in baggy clothing, it wasn’t hard to see just how frail he was. His face also appeared gaunt and haggard, and according to a witness, Gordon’s eyes appeared “vacant” as well — nothing like the fiery gaze he used to unleash on screen.

Still, he seemed to be in good spirits as he warmly greeted everyone.

After seeing the photos, netizens couldn’t help but express their sympathy for Gordon. “He’s living such a miserable life in his old age,” sighed one, while another wrote: “After going through so much hardships, he was finally paralysed by a stroke.”

Things really haven’t been easy for Gordon, and we’re not just talking about his health issues. After his stroke, not only did his ex-wife and children fail to take care of him, they somehow thought it would be a good time to ask him for money (seriously?).

More drama ensued when his former assistant Eva Fung refused to return almost 2mil yuan (S$396,000) worth of financial assets that he had entrusted to her, forcing him to bring the matter to court. Fortunately, Eva eventually came to her senses and returned everything with interest.

Man, life really isn’t fair sometimes. Still, seeing how other folks like Jet Li, Sammo Hung, and Ng Man Tat have managed to bounce back quite nicely from ill health gives us hope that the same thing can miraculously happen to Gordon as well.

Photos: IMDb, Sohu, Amy Fan/Weibo

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