SHANGHAI, July 30 -- WEN Xingyu, a popular actor in major soap operas, died of lung cancer at 5:15am today in a Beijing hospital. He was 66.

Wen played a grandfather in TV series such as "I Love My Home" and "Family has Sons and Daughter." He was diagnosed with lung cancer last year, Eastday.com quoted a well-informed source as saying.

Wen won the hearts of many viewers with his humorous portrayal of Fu Ming, the grandfather in "I Love My Home," in the early 1990s. The TV series was regarded as a landmark in domestic soap operas.

He graduated from The Central Academy of Drama in 1963.