But Kwouk is best known to American audiences as Cato who appeared in seven Pink Panther films over three decades a lot of them alongside Peter Sellers.
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Eventually, he found fame in 1964 when he starred alongside the legendary comic actor Peter Sellers in A Shot In the Dark as Cato, who kept the clumsy Clouseau on his toes by launching numbers of unexpected attacks on him, which often ended up simply wrecking the inspector’s flat.
He returned to Britain in 1954 and began pursuing a career in acting.
Kwouk went on to reprise his role as Cato in The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), and, finally, Son of the Pink Panther (1993), in which Roberto Benigni played Clouseau’s son.
His best-known TV work includes shows like The Avengers and Danger Man.
More recently, he joined Harry Hill’s eponymous TV show and become the face of Channel 4’s interactive gambling show Banzai! He had also featured in the BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine from 2002 to 2010.
A statement released by the actor’s family confirmed Kwouk passed away peacefully May 24.
Diamond said Kwouk’s funeral would be private.
Born in Warrington, Cheshire, Burt was raised in Shanghai and was given an OBE in the 2011 New Year Honour List.
“But he had no airs or graces; he told me many times how he loved filming Summer Wine and thought of himself as an honorary Holmfirth man”.
Burt Kwouk dies at 85.
He is survived by his wife Caroline Tebbs, who he married in 1961 and a son.
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Al Murray was among those tweeting about Kwouk’s death today, saying: ‘I was very lucky to have worked with Burt Kwouk on the Harry Hill show way back when.
