Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng is taking a week-long break after undergoing a heart procedure.

This was first shared on May 21 by the 57-year-old’s frequent collaborator, Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang, 68.

“Kang felt something wrong in his chest, and after getting the test results and following the doctor’s advice, he decided to undergo a cardiac catheterisation procedure,” Tsai wrote in Chinese on Facebook. “He is about to go under the knife and I’m waiting for him outside the operating room.”

The director added: “I hope all friends will send him their best wishes and that everything goes smoothly and safely.”

He updated the post later with a photo of Lee making a “V” sign on the hospital bed, adding that the procedure was a success.

Lee took to social media a few hours later to confirm his condition.

“My minimally invasive cardiac catheterisation procedure was a success,” he wrote in Chinese. “I opted to have a drug-eluting balloon and drug-eluting stent implanted. The key now is post-operative care and maintaining good lifestyle habits.”

The actor said he was admitted to hospital on May 20, went for the procedure on May 21 and would be discharged on May 22. “I’ll be back to my normal routine after a week of rest,” he added.

He took to social media again on May 22 to ask his followers not to worry about his condition.

“I’ll definitely be in better shape than before,” he wrote. “Thank you all for your concern. I’ve already been discharged. I’ll be able to create even better work for all of you in June.”

This was not his first health struggle.

He revealed to the media in the past that he was diagnosed with a condition known as torticollis around the age of 20, which caused his head to tilt to one side and was accompanied by severe pain. His condition has since improved following rehabilitation.

He starred in Singapore director Yeo Siew Hua’s film Stranger Eyes (2024), playing a stalker. The mystery thriller was selected as the official Singaporean entry in the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards in 2026.

Lee has worked with Tsai for more than 30 years since making his feature film debut in the director’s movie Rebels Of The Neon God (1992).

He has acted in Tsai’s other films such as Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003), Stray Dogs (2013) and Days (2020), with Stray Dogs winning him Best Leading Actor at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards.

Lee said on social media he had completed shooting his part in Taiwanese director Kanny Chang’s new film, Never Say Goodbye, on May 18. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network