(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-28 17:16

SHANGHAI -- Well-known Chinese actor, vocal artist and director Sun Daolin died of an unspecified illness at age 86 at the Huadong Hospital in Shanghai on Friday.

The hospital declined to provide further details.

Sun Daoling (Center) plays Li Siguang, a famous Chinese scientist, in a film. [file]

Sun, born in Beijing in December 1921, began his career as a stage and film actor in the 1940s and appeared in 100 movies and plays. He was most popular among people who are now in their 50s and 60s.

He also did Chinese voiceovers for a dozen foreign films, including Hamlet.

He was given an award for his contribution to China's film industry in 1995, the 90th anniversary of domestic cinema.

Starting in 1984, Sun directed films, such as Architect Zhan Tianyou,  which won him a top award for fiction film in China in 2001.

Sun retired from acting when he was 84. He last appeared in public at the funeral of Chen Shu, another renowned Chinese actor, in October 2006.