But first, remember that he was born in Cheshire, but raised in Shangai, and identified as Chinese. He racked up an amazing 144 IMdB credits alone; the prolific performer could do drama, too. In fact, he rose far above the portrayals of ethnic stereotypes he waded through early in his career (two Bond films in one year!). It must have given him great pleasure to skewer that demeaning experience.
He was one of the best comic actors of his time. Merely seeing him in the frame was enough to unleash an onslaught of giggles. He is just a hair too imperturbable, a smidge too much at attention. And when he has to transition immediately into slapstick and/or drag, he did so with complete, straight-faced belief, which sold everything he did. If I had more time today to follow my anal compulsions, I would figure out how many minutes and second he spent onscreen in that role, but his percentage of laughs to screen time is among the highest to date.
Thanks for everything, sir.