[WATCH] FINAL FOOTAGE of 'Exhausted' Godfrey Gao Shows His Struggles Before Cardiac Arrest
A fancam surfaced on the internet showing how much model and actor Godfrey Gao suffered before his untimely death.
Gao appeared on the ninth episode of Chinese variety show "Chase Me" where teams compete against each other to test their endurance and strength.
A close friend of Gao claimed that the actor attended an event before partaking on the show without even resting.
According to Sina, Godfrey caught a cold and was already unwell before the filming but he still pushed himself to participate in the show that lasted for 17 hours. Reports said that the production started the taping from 8:30 AM on Tuesday until 1:45 AM on November 26 before Gao collapsed on set.
Cameramen thought that his fall was only a "dramatic moment" until they realized that something serious happened.
The "Chase Me" production team attempted to revive him through resuscitation and even rushed him to the emergency room, but to no avail. JetStar entertainment, Gao's management agency, confirmed the actor's death in a statement.
"In the early hours of Nov. 27, our beloved Godfrey collapsed while filming on set," the statement read. "We are very shocked and saddened and even until now find it impossible to accept."
Days after his sudden death, a fan uploaded a footage where the 35-year-old supermodel can be seen struggling to run up the ramp and walking out of the camera's frame. In addition, an audience member overheard Gao shout "I can't keep going" before he slowed down and collapsed.
After the video surfaced on the internet, Gao's fans took to Weibo and criticized both the show and Zhejiang TV.
How Intense "Chase Me" Is?
Compared to "Ninja Warrior", "Chase Me" is insanely exhausting and intense that even athletes and Olympic Gold Medalist cannot finish the trail without almost breathing their lungs out.
The trails include Spinning Bridge, The Giant Beetle, Swinging Bamboos and Wormhole Beehive -- which all requires lots of running. On the said variety show, the players have to run a few blocks to reach the next challenge and to avoid being caught.
Because of these challenging trials, the show has been dubbed as a boot camp for "super-soldiers" rather than a plain game and variety show.
Saying Goodbye to The Trailblazer
Gao became the first Asian male model for Louis Vuitton in 2011. However, he turned into someone who has more than just a pretty face. He also starred in the 2013 action movie "The Mortal Instruments" with Lily Collins.
Gao also did the Mandarin voiceover for Toy Story 3's character Ken.
Throughout his career, Godfrey established a well-built reputation in the competitive industry he chose to tread on.
Cecilia Pidgeon, a former celebrity editor at GQ China, remembered how Gao became known as a nice person.
"He had a very good reputation among other actors. He was always nice to his fans. All of the colleagues he worked with only had good things to say," she opened up.
With Gao's passing, his family and fans felt the most heartbreak to think of how his death became a tragedy.
