Chinese-American actor Daniel Wu is mourning the recent death of his father-in-law and paying tribute to the man on social media.
Wu is married to American model-host Lisa S, whose full name is Lisa Selesner. Her stepfather is Gary Selesner, the former regional president of American hotel and casino entertainment company Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas and the president of luxury hotel Caesars Palace — one of Sin City's largest and best known landmarks — from 2005 to 2022.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Sept 12, Selesner died at age 71 on Sept 9. His cause of death was not reported, but the Las Vegas newspaper said he had been in poor health for months.
"After losing my own father two years ago, this was pretty devastating," Wu, 50, wrote on Instagram on Wednesday (Oct 2). His father George died at age 92 in March 2022. "I have known Gary Selesner since I started dating my wife back in 2002."
The American Born Chinese (2023) star tied the knot with Lisa S, 46, in South Africa in 2010 after dating for eight years. They have an 11-year-old daughter, Raven.
Wu wrote about his late father-in-law: "He was younger than I am now when we first met. He was a kind, humble, honest and hardworking man who worked his way from the ground up to be the incredible visionary leader that he was."
Describing Selesner as "calm and collected", Wu said he never once saw his father-in-law blow up or even get angry.
"That means a lot for someone in his position carrying the entire organisation on his back," he wrote. "Over the years, I learned how well-respected he was in the Caesars group as everyone from the valets and dealers all the way up to the executives and customers would express how kind of a person he was."
The actor, who recently starred in Chinese thriller film Decoded (2024), also shared some personal aspects of his father-in-law.
"As a father, he cared deeply about his family and always wanted to share his excitement for food and travel with all of us," Wu wrote. "I will always remember the crazy meals and exciting adventures we shared."
Wu said he had been looking forward to learning from his father-in-law over the next few years, but it was not meant to be.
"Thank you Gary for welcoming me to your family and treating me like a son for all these years," he wrote. "I will always remember your gentle kindness and all of the amazing times we shared together."
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
