Leslie Cheung
Encyclopedia
Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing (12 September 1956 – 1 April 2003), nicknamed elder brother (哥哥), was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Cheung was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop
", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".
In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central Television
, and voted/ranked the 1st as The Most Favorite Actor in 100 Years of Chinese Cinema in 2005. Recently, he was voted the third of the CNN's "top five most iconic musician of all time" placing behind Michael Jackson
and The Beatles
.
, Hong Kong. His birth name was Cheung Fat-chung (張發宗), which was later changed to Cheung Kwok-Wing. Cheung was the youngest of ten children in a middle-class Hakka
family. Cheung Wut Hoi, his father, was a fairly well known tailor, whose customers included the American actors William Holden
and Cary Grant
. His parents divorced when he was quite young. While in Hong Kong, Cheung attended Rosaryhill School (Stubbs Road, Hong Kong).
At the age of 13, he was sent to England as a boarder at Eccles Hall School. After completing his secondary education, he obtained a scholarship for undergraduate course of studies in Textiles at University of Leeds. He worked as a bartender
at his relatives' restaurant and sang during the weekends. It was around this period that he chose his name, "Leslie". According to Cheung, he chose this name because "I love the film Gone with the Wind
. And I like Leslie Howard
. The name can be a man's or woman's, it's very unisex, so I like it."
In several of his interviews, Cheung stated that he had had a fairly unhappy childhood. "I didn't have a happy childhood. Arguments, fights and we didn't live together; I was brought up by my granny." "What I would say most affected me as a child, was that my parents were not at home with me. As a young kid, one could not always understand why his parents weren't at home. This made me depressed sometimes."
Cheung attended the University of Leeds
in northern England, where he studied textile management. He dropped out of university at the end of his first year, when his father fell ill. After his father's recovery, Cheung did not return to England to complete his studies.
's "American Pie" at the Asian Music Contest held by Rediffusion Television
(RTV). He signed a contract with RTV, which subsequently became Asia Television Limited
(ATV) and began his career in the entertainment industry. He also signed a music contract with Polydor Records
, releasing Day Dreaming (1977) and Lover's Arrow (1979).
The early days of his career were not easy. He was once booed off the stage during a public performance, and his first two albums were not welcomed by the public. He left Polydor Records
at the end of his contract. Cheung's first film, The Erotic Dream of the Red Chamber (紅樓春上春) in 1978 was a soft porn film. Cheung later stated that he was unaware of the sexual nature of the film when he signed the contract.
During the 1970s and 1980s, he appeared in a number of TV dramas such as The Young Concubine (我家的女人), Agency 24 (甜甜廿四味), Pairing (對對糊), and The Spirit Of The Sword (浣花洗劍錄). These TV dramas helped turn him into a household name in South East Asia.
upon the end of his contract with RTV. It was at Capital Artists that Florence Chan became his music agent and remained as such through his entire career. While at Capital Artists, he also met Anita Mui
, another Hong Kong Cantopop
idol, starting a long lasting friendship. In 1983, Cheung released his first hit song, "The Wind Blows On" (風繼續吹). In 1984, he released his first top ten hit song "Monica", which became the first so-called "fast" song that won the RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award. "Monica" became representative of a new genre of Hong Kong music
in the mid 1980s. Fans began to demand fast and energetic Cantopop songs that would be suitable for both dancing and listening. Other Top Ten Gold Songs released by Cheung through Capital Artists included "Wild Wind" (不羈的風) (album, For Your Love Only, 1985); "Who Can Be With Me" (有誰共鳴) (album, Leslie Cheung: Allure Me, 1986) and "Love in Those Years" (當年情) (theme song for A Better Tomorrow
, album Leslie Cheung: Allure Me, 1986). "Who Can Be With Me" became the Gold of the Gold Songs (Best Song) of the Year for 1986.
Cheung's movie career was a little slower to take off. He appeared in supporting roles in his second and third movies Encore (1980) and On Trial (1981). However, his acting talent was soon recognized with his nomination for the Hong Kong Film Awards
' Best Supporting Actor for his role in On Trial. Subsequent to this nomination, he played the leading role in Teenage Dreamers (1982) and held the lead role in almost every movie he was in from then on. From the early 1980s through 1986, most of the movies in which he had starred were teenage movies. Among them, Nomad
(1982, directed by Patrick Tam Kar-ming) is widely considered by film critics as representative of Hong Kong "New Wave" films. Cheung's role as Louis in Nomad won him his first Best Actor nomination of the Hong Kong Film Awards. Later, Cheung stated that he considers Nomad as his first "real" movie. During this period, Cheung continued to act in a number of Television Broadcasts (TVB) dramas, such as Once Upon an Ordinary Girl (儂本多情) and The Fallen Family (武林世家).
and released the album Summer Romance
in 1987. Summer Romance became the Best Selling CD of the Year and IFPI Best Selling Album in Hong Kong. The success of Summer Romance made him one of the top two Cantopop idols at the time (the other was Alan Tam
). In 1988, he composed one of his most famous songs "Silence is Golden" (沉默是金). Other popular albums published by Cheung through Cinepoly Records included Hot Summer
(1988), Virgin Snow
(1988), Leslie '89
(Side face, IFPI Best Album of the Year, 1989), Final Encounter
(1989), and Salute (1990). Salute was the first non-profit album released by a superstar in Hong Kong music history that would only compile songs originally performed by other singers. According to Cheung, Salute is his homage
to music. He donated all the proceeds from the sales of Salute to the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
(香港演藝學院), which was named the Leslie Cheung Memorial Scholarship after his death.
With the popularity of Cheung and Tam, fans of these two stars became increasingly hostile to each other, starting a long-standing conflict that soon put heavy pressure on both singers. In 1988, Alan Tam publicly quit all pop music award ceremonies. In 1989, Cheung announced his intention to retire from his music career as a singer. Cheung then set a record by being the first singer ever in Cantopop history to hold a retirement concert series (Final Encounter of the Legend), which ran for 33 consecutive nights (he was 33 at the time) at Hong Kong Coliseum. In 1990, he left Hong Kong at the peak of his music career and emigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where he reportedly "found peace and tranquility." Cheung gained Canadian citizenship in 1992 and returned to Asia full-time in 1995 for his re-emergence in Chinese-language popular music.
From 1986 to 1989, Cheung acted in a number of movies that are considered as Hong Kong classics by film critics and Asian movie fans. In 1986, Cheung co-starred with Chow Yun-fat
in A Better Tomorrow
(directed by John Woo
), which was widely considered as a trend starter for Hong Kong triad movies in the 1980s. Cheung played Kit, a righteous and idealistic young cop. Cheung's role in the movie was widely considered his debut as a serious actor. He also starred in the sequel, A Better Tomorrow II (1987). Also in 1987, Cheung starred in Stanley Kwan
's Rouge
where he played Chen-Pang Chan, an infatuated, opium-smoking playboy and doomed lover of a beautiful prostitute, Fleur (played by Anita Mui
). Further, in the same year (1987), he appeared in Tsui Hark
's A Chinese Ghost Story
(directed by Ching Siu-tung). Cheung played Ling Choi Sin, a well-meaning but cowardly debt collector who had fallen in love with a beautiful ghost (played by Joey Wong
). His performance in these movies won him two Best Actor nomination from Hong Kong Film Awards
. The success of A Better Tomorrow and A Chinese Ghost Story made his name known in the Japanese and South Korea film markets.
's movie Days of Being Wild
. His performance in Days of Being Wild won him the Best Actor Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards
in 1991 and his first nomination of Best Actor at the Golden Horse Film Festival
(Taiwan). He also acted in two other Wong Kar-wai movies. In the 1994 martial arts film, Ashes of Time
, he starred as Ouyang Feng, a swordsman and assassin who spent his days in a desert. His role as Ouyang won him the Best Actor Award at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
. In 1997's movie Happy Together which centrally depicts a complex relationship between two gay lovers (although Wong insists that it isn't essentially a "gay" film), he played the capricious Ho Po-wing, who goes to Argentina with his lover Lai Yiu-fai (played by Tony Leung Chiu-wai).
In 1992's historical masterpiece Farewell My Concubine (directed by Chen Kaige
), Cheung acted as the Peking opera star Dieyi Cheng, a Beijing opera
artist who reaches fame with his exquisite performances of female roles. Farewell My Concubine is the first Chinese film to have won the Golden Palm
award at the Cannes Film Festival
. It also won more than twenty other film awards including a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film
and Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Film
and Best Cinematography
. Cheung's performance in the film won him international fame as a film star and set his steps in the mainland China film industry. In 1996, he worked again with Chen Kaige, playing the role of a misty gigolo, Zhongliang Yu, in Temptress Moon
. In 1998's A Time to Remember (directed by Yip Ying), he acted as Jin, an underground Chinese Communist leader. His Hong Kong background caused a heated debate at the time, but the film still achieved box office success in mainland China and in 2004 won a "Most Popular Foreign Film" Award at the Pyongyang Film Festival
.
Other important movies Cheung starred in during this period include The Bride with White Hair
(with Brigitte Lin
, 1993), He's a Woman, She's a Man
(with Anita Yuen
, 1994), The Phantom Lover
(1995), and Viva Erotica
(with Shu Qi
, 1996). His performance in these movies won him three Best Actor Award nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards
and three Best Actor Award nominations at the Golden Horse Film Festival
from 1990 to 1998.
As a versatile actor, Cheung also acted in many comedies. In 1991, teamed again with Chow Yun-fat
and Cherie Chung
, Cheung played a skillful and charming thief in John Woo
's Once A Thief
. In 1992's All's Well, Ends Well
, he acted as an effeminate brother who would later realize the meaning of true love. Other well-known comedies included The Eagle Shooting Heroes
, It's a Wonderful Life, and The Chinese Feast
. Cheung was also a box office attraction in Hong Kong; from 1990 to 1998, 13 out of 39 movies in which he starred were listed as yearly top ten box office movies.
Although Cheung quit his career as a pop singer from 1989 to 1995, he continued his music career as a composer. He composed more than ten songs during that time. In 1993, he won Best Original Movie Song Award from Golden Horse Film Festival
for the theme song Red Cheek, White Hair to the movie The Bride with White Hair (as a composer). In 1995, he composed all three theme songs for the film The Phantom Lover
. As a composer, Cheung won four nominations for Best Original Movie Song Award at the Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards and two nominations for Best Original Film Song at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
, returning to music as a singer. At the same year, he released his first post-"retirement" album, Beloved
. Beloved achieved large market success with the award of IFPI Best Selling Album, but it did not receive much acclaim from music critics as it is a collection of Cheung's movie theme songs from 1993 to 1995. In 1996, Cheung released possibly his most highly acclaimed album, Red. Red was a fusion album, mixing smooth jazz, R&B, trip hop, etc., into Cantopop
, forming a consistent unique style. Cheung worked since then on cutting-edge music as well as Cantopop, his new music style being markedly different from before his earlier retirement. In this album, Cheung also composed another important song in his music career, Red. In 1998, Cheung released his first album in Mandarin (and also the only one originally in the language), Printemps
.
In 1997, Cheung held his first post-retirement concert series: World Tour 97, which lasted from 12 December 1996 to 17 June 1997. Like with the refinements to his musical style, Cheung introduced a new image to his audience. The most daring part possibly was the closing dance "Red" where Cheung did a tango duet in a pair of red high-heels with a macho dancer. World Tour 97 included 55 concerts: 24 concerts were held in Hong Kong Coliseum
and 31 concerts were held in the cities around the world. Among them, six concerts were held in Japan and mainland China respectively. World Tour 97 was the first concert series that Cheung held in these two areas.
In 1999, Cheung started a music company, Apex Music, signing a distribution contract with Universal Music Group
(UMG). Important albums released via UMG
includes Count Down With You (1999), Big Heat
(2000), and Untitled (2000). The hit songs released by him during this period include "Passing-by Dragonfly", the top one hit song, "Big Heat", and "Left Right Hands", Top Ten Gold Song of the Year (1999). He also composed the song I (first released in album Big Heat
), which was considered by him as a song of self-statement. In 1999, Cheung was awarded the Golden Needle award (lifetime achievement award in Cantopop music). In 2000, Cheung had been assigned as the "Music Ambassador" of Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong
(CASH) until his death. Cheung also composed the theme song "Noah's Ark" for the CASH Golden Sail Award.
to design all eight costumes for the concert. However, the costumes, together with his long wig and beard, were criticized bitterly by Hong Kong media at the early stage of the concerts. Cheung later disclosed that Gaultier was very angry about the criticism and claimed in an email (sent to Cheung) that he would never design costumes again for any Asian performer. Despite the early criticisms from the media, Passion Tour achieved huge success. Passion Tour was highly welcomed in Japan and made Cheung hold 10 concerts there. Together with World Tour 97 concerts, Cheung set a record of foreign artists of holding 16 concerts in Japan. In China, Cheung set a record yet to be broken by holding two consecutive night concerts in Shanghai Stadium (capacity of 80,000). He was also awarded the "Grand Salute Award" (2000) by Mingpao Weekly (Hong Kong) and "Music Salute Award" (2000) from Chinese Pop Music Media Association (mainland China) for his work in Passion Tour.
By the end of the 1990s, Cheung had begun to focus on acting in non-romance roles. In The Kid
(1999, directed by Jacob Cheung Chi-Leung), he starred as a poor single father who fostered an abandoned baby boy. In the action thriller Double Tap (2000, directed by Lo Chi Leung), he played a psycho killer, Rick. In the 2002 psycho thriller Inner Senses
(directed by Lo Chi Leung), he played psychologist Dr. Law, who discovered his own emotional issues when he tried to treat his patient Yan (Kar Yan Lam). His performance in these films earned him another Best Actor nomination from the Hong Kong Film Awards. He also garnered another two Best Actor Award nominations from Taiwan Film Festival. During this period, Cheung began to try his hand at film direction. In 2000, he directed his first movie, the 45 minutes From Ashes to Ashes. In 2002, he began to film his first regular length movie Stealing Heart. The film was not completed due to the deterioration of his health.
and once said in an interview in Time magazine: "It's more appropriate to say I'm bisexual. I've had girlfriends. When I was 22 or so, I asked my girlfriend Teresa Mo
(his colleague in ATV of the time) to marry me."
Despite numerous tabloid
rumors, he denied his homosexual/bi-sexual orientation for the first half of his career, until his stance relaxed considerably after emigrating to Vancouver. In the early 1990s he became one of the few Hong Kong actors who dared to play gay characters onscreen.
Cheung's first gay role was Cheng Dieyi in Farewell My Concubine (1993). Cheng Dieyi was a Beijing opera singer or Dan
(male actor who plays female roles) who had fallen in love with his male singing partner. In Wong Kar-wai
's Happy Together (1997), Cheung played another gay role, Ho Po-wing. He was nominated for the Best Actor Award at the Golden Horse Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards
for his role in Happy Together.
In 1995 a Hong Kong tabloid published a photo of Cheung with another man, Daffy Tong Hok-Tak (唐鶴德). In a 1997 concert, Cheung openly revealed that Tong was his "most beloved" after his mother. The Hong Kong media eventually accepted the two men's relationship and the tabloid gave Tong the nickname Tong Tong (in the style of Gor Gor). After Cheung's death, Cheung's family published a full-page obituary in a Hong Kong newspaper, in which Tong was listed as a surviving spouse (未亡人). Tong, together with Cheung's eldest sister, was also designated as the executor of Cheung's estate.
. He left a suicide note saying that he had been suffering from depression. He was 46 years old.
As one of the most popular performers in Asia, Cheung's death shocked the Asian entertainment industry and Chinese community worldwide. Rumors about the cause of his death spread so fast that his family urged tabloids to let Cheung rest in peace, and not to sensationalize his sexual orientation and reasons for suicide. The day after Leslie's death, his longtime partner, Tong, confirmed that Cheung suffered from (clinical) depression and had been seeing psychiatrists for treatment for almost a year. He also revealed that Cheung had attempted suicide in 2002. Later at his funeral, Cheung's niece disclosed that her uncle had severe clinical depression and suffered much over the past year (2003).
Despite the risk of infection from SARS
and the WHO
's warning on travels to Hong Kong, tens of thousands attended Cheung's memorial service, which was held for the public, on 7 April 2003, including celebrities and other fans, many from other parts of the world such as mainland China, Taiwan
, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, the United States and Canada. Cheung's funeral was on 8 April 2003. For almost one month, Cheung's death dominated newspaper headlines in Hong Kong and his songs were constantly on the air.
Cheung's last album Everything Follows the Wind (一切隨風) was released three months after his death.
Cantopop
Cantopop is a colloquialism for "Cantonese popular music". It is sometimes referred to as HK-pop, short for "Hong Kong popular music". It is categorized as a subgenre of Chinese popular music within C-pop...
", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".
In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central Television
China Central Television
China Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV, is the major state television broadcaster in mainland China. CCTV has a network of 19 channels broadcasting different programmes and is accessible to more than one billion viewers...
, and voted/ranked the 1st as The Most Favorite Actor in 100 Years of Chinese Cinema in 2005. Recently, he was voted the third of the CNN's "top five most iconic musician of all time" placing behind Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
.
Childhood and education
Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing was born in KowloonKowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
, Hong Kong. His birth name was Cheung Fat-chung (張發宗), which was later changed to Cheung Kwok-Wing. Cheung was the youngest of ten children in a middle-class Hakka
Hakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
family. Cheung Wut Hoi, his father, was a fairly well known tailor, whose customers included the American actors William Holden
William Holden
William Holden was an American actor. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1954 and the Emmy Award for Best Actor in 1974...
and Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
. His parents divorced when he was quite young. While in Hong Kong, Cheung attended Rosaryhill School (Stubbs Road, Hong Kong).
At the age of 13, he was sent to England as a boarder at Eccles Hall School. After completing his secondary education, he obtained a scholarship for undergraduate course of studies in Textiles at University of Leeds. He worked as a bartender
Bartender
A bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner...
at his relatives' restaurant and sang during the weekends. It was around this period that he chose his name, "Leslie". According to Cheung, he chose this name because "I love the film Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
. And I like Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard (actor)
Leslie Howard was an English stage and film actor, director, and producer. Among his best-known roles was Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind and roles in Berkeley Square , Of Human Bondage , The Scarlet Pimpernel , The Petrified Forest , Pygmalion , Intermezzo , Pimpernel Smith...
. The name can be a man's or woman's, it's very unisex, so I like it."
In several of his interviews, Cheung stated that he had had a fairly unhappy childhood. "I didn't have a happy childhood. Arguments, fights and we didn't live together; I was brought up by my granny." "What I would say most affected me as a child, was that my parents were not at home with me. As a young kid, one could not always understand why his parents weren't at home. This made me depressed sometimes."
Cheung attended the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
in northern England, where he studied textile management. He dropped out of university at the end of his first year, when his father fell ill. After his father's recovery, Cheung did not return to England to complete his studies.
Early career
In 1977, Cheung won second prize by singing Don McLeanDon McLean
Donald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
's "American Pie" at the Asian Music Contest held by Rediffusion Television
Rediffusion Television
Rediffusion Television was the first television station in Hong Kong, established on May 29, 1957, making it both the first British colony and the first predominantly Chinese city to have television...
(RTV). He signed a contract with RTV, which subsequently became Asia Television Limited
Asia Television Limited
Asia Television Limited is one of the two free-to-air television broadcasters in Hong Kong, the other being rival Television Broadcasts Limited . It launched in 1957 under the name Rediffusion Television as the first television station in Hong Kong...
(ATV) and began his career in the entertainment industry. He also signed a music contract with Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
, releasing Day Dreaming (1977) and Lover's Arrow (1979).
The early days of his career were not easy. He was once booed off the stage during a public performance, and his first two albums were not welcomed by the public. He left Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
at the end of his contract. Cheung's first film, The Erotic Dream of the Red Chamber (紅樓春上春) in 1978 was a soft porn film. Cheung later stated that he was unaware of the sexual nature of the film when he signed the contract.
During the 1970s and 1980s, he appeared in a number of TV dramas such as The Young Concubine (我家的女人), Agency 24 (甜甜廿四味), Pairing (對對糊), and The Spirit Of The Sword (浣花洗劍錄). These TV dramas helped turn him into a household name in South East Asia.
Ascent to fame
In 1982, Cheung joined Capital ArtistsCapital Artists
Capital Artists is a Hong Kong–based record label, and is currently owned by , a subsidiary of Lai Sun Development. Founded in 1971, Capital Artists signed some of the biggest names in the Cantopop industry, including the late Roman Tam, Anita Mui, and Leslie Cheung, among others...
upon the end of his contract with RTV. It was at Capital Artists that Florence Chan became his music agent and remained as such through his entire career. While at Capital Artists, he also met Anita Mui
Anita Mui
Anita Mui Yim-fong was a popular Hong Kong singer and actress. During her prime years she made major contributions to the cantopop music scene, while receiving numerous awards and honours. She remained an idol throughout most of her career, and was generally regarded as a cantopop diva...
, another Hong Kong Cantopop
Cantopop
Cantopop is a colloquialism for "Cantonese popular music". It is sometimes referred to as HK-pop, short for "Hong Kong popular music". It is categorized as a subgenre of Chinese popular music within C-pop...
idol, starting a long lasting friendship. In 1983, Cheung released his first hit song, "The Wind Blows On" (風繼續吹). In 1984, he released his first top ten hit song "Monica", which became the first so-called "fast" song that won the RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award. "Monica" became representative of a new genre of Hong Kong music
Music of Hong Kong
The Music of Hong Kong is an eclectic mixture of traditional and popular genres. Cantopop is one of the more prominent genres of music produced in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta regularly perform western classical music in the city...
in the mid 1980s. Fans began to demand fast and energetic Cantopop songs that would be suitable for both dancing and listening. Other Top Ten Gold Songs released by Cheung through Capital Artists included "Wild Wind" (不羈的風) (album, For Your Love Only, 1985); "Who Can Be With Me" (有誰共鳴) (album, Leslie Cheung: Allure Me, 1986) and "Love in Those Years" (當年情) (theme song for A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow is a 1986 Hong Kong action film which had a profound influence on the Hong Kong film-making industry, and later on an international scale.Directed by John Woo, it stars Chow Yun-fat, Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung...
, album Leslie Cheung: Allure Me, 1986). "Who Can Be With Me" became the Gold of the Gold Songs (Best Song) of the Year for 1986.
Cheung's movie career was a little slower to take off. He appeared in supporting roles in his second and third movies Encore (1980) and On Trial (1981). However, his acting talent was soon recognized with his nomination for the Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
' Best Supporting Actor for his role in On Trial. Subsequent to this nomination, he played the leading role in Teenage Dreamers (1982) and held the lead role in almost every movie he was in from then on. From the early 1980s through 1986, most of the movies in which he had starred were teenage movies. Among them, Nomad
Nomad (1982 film)
Nomad is a 1982 Hong Kong film directed by Patrick Tam. It is about the experiences of a group of youngsters who feel lost and try to find the true meaning of life. Nomad is considered as one of the representatives of the Hong Kong New Wave films.-Plot:Louis is a lovely young man from a rich...
(1982, directed by Patrick Tam Kar-ming) is widely considered by film critics as representative of Hong Kong "New Wave" films. Cheung's role as Louis in Nomad won him his first Best Actor nomination of the Hong Kong Film Awards. Later, Cheung stated that he considers Nomad as his first "real" movie. During this period, Cheung continued to act in a number of Television Broadcasts (TVB) dramas, such as Once Upon an Ordinary Girl (儂本多情) and The Fallen Family (武林世家).
Stardom and retirement
In 1986, he joined Cinepoly Records Hong KongCinepoly Records
Cinepoly Records is a Hong Kong-based record label founded in 1985. It was a subsidiary of PolyGram Records and the film company Cinema City. Ownership of Cinepoly Records switched to Universal Music Group after Universal acquired PolyGram Records in 1998 and albums are now distributed by...
and released the album Summer Romance
Summer Romance
Summer Romance is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1987. This album first catapulted the then struggling Leslie Cheung to instant fame and star status when first released...
in 1987. Summer Romance became the Best Selling CD of the Year and IFPI Best Selling Album in Hong Kong. The success of Summer Romance made him one of the top two Cantopop idols at the time (the other was Alan Tam
Alan Tam
Wing Lun Alan Tam, MH is an award-winning Hong Kong Cantopop and English pop singer and actor. During the early 1980s he played a major role in developing the cantopop scene as he was known for singing romantic ballads with modern arrangements. As of 2008, he is still active in the music...
). In 1988, he composed one of his most famous songs "Silence is Golden" (沉默是金). Other popular albums published by Cheung through Cinepoly Records included Hot Summer
Hot Summer
Hot Summer was a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung released in 1988 by Hong Kong record company Cinepoly and followed on the heels of the success of Cheung's Summer Romance the year before...
(1988), Virgin Snow
Virgin Snow
Virgin Snow is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1988. The album is the second album that Cheung released after he joined Cinepoly Records in Hong Kong....
(1988), Leslie '89
Leslie '89
Leslie '89 is a cantopop album by Leslie Cheung released in 1989 by Cinepoly Records of Hong Kong. It was also his supposed penultimate album before the final album Final Encounter also released in 1989...
(Side face, IFPI Best Album of the Year, 1989), Final Encounter
Final Encounter
Final EncounterCantopop album by Leslie Cheung released in 1989 by Cinepoly Records of Hong Kong. This album was supposed to commemorate his departure from the music industry in Hong Kong and to concentrate largely on his acting career in 1989....
(1989), and Salute (1990). Salute was the first non-profit album released by a superstar in Hong Kong music history that would only compile songs originally performed by other singers. According to Cheung, Salute is his homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to music. He donated all the proceeds from the sales of Salute to the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts , located near the north coast of Wan Chai on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, is both an academic institution and a venue for performances....
(香港演藝學院), which was named the Leslie Cheung Memorial Scholarship after his death.
With the popularity of Cheung and Tam, fans of these two stars became increasingly hostile to each other, starting a long-standing conflict that soon put heavy pressure on both singers. In 1988, Alan Tam publicly quit all pop music award ceremonies. In 1989, Cheung announced his intention to retire from his music career as a singer. Cheung then set a record by being the first singer ever in Cantopop history to hold a retirement concert series (Final Encounter of the Legend), which ran for 33 consecutive nights (he was 33 at the time) at Hong Kong Coliseum. In 1990, he left Hong Kong at the peak of his music career and emigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where he reportedly "found peace and tranquility." Cheung gained Canadian citizenship in 1992 and returned to Asia full-time in 1995 for his re-emergence in Chinese-language popular music.
From 1986 to 1989, Cheung acted in a number of movies that are considered as Hong Kong classics by film critics and Asian movie fans. In 1986, Cheung co-starred with Chow Yun-fat
Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...
in A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow is a 1986 Hong Kong action film which had a profound influence on the Hong Kong film-making industry, and later on an international scale.Directed by John Woo, it stars Chow Yun-fat, Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung...
(directed by John Woo
John Woo
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard...
), which was widely considered as a trend starter for Hong Kong triad movies in the 1980s. Cheung played Kit, a righteous and idealistic young cop. Cheung's role in the movie was widely considered his debut as a serious actor. He also starred in the sequel, A Better Tomorrow II (1987). Also in 1987, Cheung starred in Stanley Kwan
Stanley Kwan
Stanley Kwan is a Hong Kong Second Wave film director and producer.Kwan landed a job at the TVB after receiving a mass communications degree at Hong Kong Baptist College...
's Rouge
Rouge (film)
Rouge is a 1988 Hong Kong film, directed by Stanley Kwan. The movie is the adaptation of the novel by Lilian Lee.-Plot:Chan Chen-Pang, better known as the "12th Young Master" , was a fashionable playboy who frequented the opium dens prevalent in Hong Kong in 1934, where he met the high-class and...
where he played Chen-Pang Chan, an infatuated, opium-smoking playboy and doomed lover of a beautiful prostitute, Fleur (played by Anita Mui
Anita Mui
Anita Mui Yim-fong was a popular Hong Kong singer and actress. During her prime years she made major contributions to the cantopop music scene, while receiving numerous awards and honours. She remained an idol throughout most of her career, and was generally regarded as a cantopop diva...
). Further, in the same year (1987), he appeared in Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark , born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong New Wave film director and producer. He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema .-Early life:...
's A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story
A Chinese Ghost Story is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy horror film starring Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, and Wu Ma, directed by Ching Siu-tung, and produced by Tsui Hark...
(directed by Ching Siu-tung). Cheung played Ling Choi Sin, a well-meaning but cowardly debt collector who had fallen in love with a beautiful ghost (played by Joey Wong
Joey Wong
Joey Wong is a Hong Kong based Taiwanese-born actress.-Biography:Wong was born on January 31, 1967 and raised in Taipei and also received a secondary school education there. She was enrolled in the drama course of Kuo Kwan Arts School...
). His performance in these movies won him two Best Actor nomination from Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
. The success of A Better Tomorrow and A Chinese Ghost Story made his name known in the Japanese and South Korea film markets.
Golden age in film
The mid-80s to mid-90s was a golden age in Hong Kong's film industry, which coincided with Cheung's film career. In 1990, Cheung acted as Yuddy, a handsome, ruthless bad boy, philanderer and narcissist in Wong Kar-waiWong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai BBS is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized, emotionally resonant work, including Days of Being Wild , Ashes of Time , Chungking Express , Fallen Angels , Happy Together and 2046...
's movie Days of Being Wild
Days of Being Wild
Days of Being Wild is a 1990 Hong Kong film directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film stars some of the best-known actors and actresses in Hong Kong, including Leslie Cheung, Carina Lau, Maggie Cheung, Jacky Cheung and Andy Lau. Tony Leung Chiu Wai also appears in a silent cameo role lasting several...
. His performance in Days of Being Wild won him the Best Actor Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
in 1991 and his first nomination of Best Actor at the Golden Horse Film Festival
Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962, by Government Information Office, Republic of China...
(Taiwan). He also acted in two other Wong Kar-wai movies. In the 1994 martial arts film, Ashes of Time
Ashes of Time
-Critical:When the film opened in Hong Kong it received mixed reviews. Critics found it so elliptical that it was almost impossible to make out any semblance of a plot, something very rare in a wuxia film....
, he starred as Ouyang Feng, a swordsman and assassin who spent his days in a desert. His role as Ouyang won him the Best Actor Award at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
The Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards are the annual awards given by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society in Hong Kong, China since 1995. The awards are determined by votes cast in three rounds after a substantial discussion session between the members of the society...
. In 1997's movie Happy Together which centrally depicts a complex relationship between two gay lovers (although Wong insists that it isn't essentially a "gay" film), he played the capricious Ho Po-wing, who goes to Argentina with his lover Lai Yiu-fai (played by Tony Leung Chiu-wai).
In 1992's historical masterpiece Farewell My Concubine (directed by Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige is a Chinese film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema. His films are known for their visual flair and epic storytelling.-Early life:...
), Cheung acted as the Peking opera star Dieyi Cheng, a Beijing opera
Beijing opera
Peking opera or Beijing opera is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in the late 18th century and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century. The form was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court...
artist who reaches fame with his exquisite performances of female roles. Farewell My Concubine is the first Chinese film to have won the Golden Palm
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
award at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. It also won more than twenty other film awards including a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film
Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the awards presented at the Golden Globes, an American film awards ceremony.Until 1986, it was known as the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film, meaning that any non-American film could be honoured...
and Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
and Best Cinematography
Academy Award for Best Cinematography
The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work in one particular motion picture.-History:...
. Cheung's performance in the film won him international fame as a film star and set his steps in the mainland China film industry. In 1996, he worked again with Chen Kaige, playing the role of a misty gigolo, Zhongliang Yu, in Temptress Moon
Temptress Moon
Temptress Moon is a 1996 Chinese film directed by Chen Kaige. It was jointly produced by the Shanghai Film Studio and the Taipei-based Tomson Films...
. In 1998's A Time to Remember (directed by Yip Ying), he acted as Jin, an underground Chinese Communist leader. His Hong Kong background caused a heated debate at the time, but the film still achieved box office success in mainland China and in 2004 won a "Most Popular Foreign Film" Award at the Pyongyang Film Festival
Pyongyang Film Festival
The Pyongyang International Film Festival is a biennial cultural exhibition held in Pyongyang, North Korea. The film festival is an unusually cosmopolitan event for a state known to be reclusive to outside contact....
.
Other important movies Cheung starred in during this period include The Bride with White Hair
The Bride with White Hair
The Bride with White Hair is a 1993 Hong Kong film directed by Ronny Yu and starring Brigitte Lin and Leslie Cheung.The film's main character, Lian Nichang, is loosely based on the protagonist of Liang Yusheng's novel Baifa Monü Zhuan, which had earlier served as source material for the 1982 film...
(with Brigitte Lin
Brigitte Lin
Brigitte Lin or Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia is a Taiwanese actress. She was a popular actress, regarded as an icon of Chinese cinema, who acted in both Taiwanese and Hong Kong movies...
, 1993), He's a Woman, She's a Man
He's a Woman, She's a Man
He's a Woman, She's a Man is a 1994 film directed by Peter Chan Ho Sun and written by James Yuen and Lee Chi Ngai. It stars Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing, Anita Yuen Wing Yee, Carina Lau Kar Ling, Jordan Chan Siu Chun and Eric Tsang Chi Wai...
(with Anita Yuen
Anita Yuen
Anita Yuen Wing-yi is a Hong Kong film and television actress. She was the winner of the 1990 Miss Hong Kong Pageant.-Pageant career:At the age of 18, Yuen entered the Miss Hong Kong 1990 pageant. She was a heavy favorite to win the crown from the semifinal to final. During the semifinals on August...
, 1994), The Phantom Lover
The Phantom Lover
The Phantom Lover is a 1995 Hong Kong film starring Leslie Cheung and Jacqueline Wu. It was directed by Ronnie Yu and is a remake of the 1937 film Song at Midnight. The film itself is a loose adaptation of the classic Romeo and Juliet romance where love between two passionate lovers were...
(1995), and Viva Erotica
Viva Erotica
Viva Erotica is a 1996 Hong Kong film directed by Derek Yee and Lo Chi-Leung.-Plot:Viva Erotica is a sex-comedy film, though with a serious subject of how an artist has to compromise with his talents for living...
(with Shu Qi
Shu Qi
Shu Qi is the stage name of a Taiwanese actress born Lin Li-Hui . Her stage name is occasionally romanized as Hsu Chi or Shu Kei . Her name is sometimes seen in the Western order as Qi Shu.-Early life:...
, 1996). His performance in these movies won him three Best Actor Award nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
and three Best Actor Award nominations at the Golden Horse Film Festival
Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962, by Government Information Office, Republic of China...
from 1990 to 1998.
As a versatile actor, Cheung also acted in many comedies. In 1991, teamed again with Chow Yun-fat
Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...
and Cherie Chung
Cherie Chung
Cherie Chung Chor-hung is a retired Hong Kong film actress.She is one of the top actresses in Hong Kong Film 1980s.InHakka descent, she participated in the Miss Hong Kong competition but won nothing...
, Cheung played a skillful and charming thief in John Woo
John Woo
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard...
's Once A Thief
Once a Thief (1991 film)
Once a Thief is a 1991 Hong Kong crime film written and directed by John Woo. It stars Chow Yun-fat, Leslie Cheung, Cherie Chung, Kenneth Tsang and Chu Kong in a lighthearted heist themed action-comedy routine....
. In 1992's All's Well, Ends Well
All's Well, Ends Well
All's Well, Ends Well is a 1992 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Clifton Ko. The film stars Stephen Chow with Maggie Cheung, Leslie Cheung, Raymond Wong, Sandra Ng, and Teresa Mo....
, he acted as an effeminate brother who would later realize the meaning of true love. Other well-known comedies included The Eagle Shooting Heroes
The Eagle Shooting Heroes
The Eagle Shooting Heroes is a 1993 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Jeffrey Lau. It is a parody of Louis Cha's novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes.-Production:...
, It's a Wonderful Life, and The Chinese Feast
The Chinese Feast
The Chinese Feast is a 1995 Hong Kong film co-written, produced and directed by Tsui Hark, and starring Leslie Cheung, Anita Yuen, Kenny Bee, and Law Kar-ying.-Synopsis:...
. Cheung was also a box office attraction in Hong Kong; from 1990 to 1998, 13 out of 39 movies in which he starred were listed as yearly top ten box office movies.
Although Cheung quit his career as a pop singer from 1989 to 1995, he continued his music career as a composer. He composed more than ten songs during that time. In 1993, he won Best Original Movie Song Award from Golden Horse Film Festival
Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962, by Government Information Office, Republic of China...
for the theme song Red Cheek, White Hair to the movie The Bride with White Hair (as a composer). In 1995, he composed all three theme songs for the film The Phantom Lover
The Phantom Lover
The Phantom Lover is a 1995 Hong Kong film starring Leslie Cheung and Jacqueline Wu. It was directed by Ronnie Yu and is a remake of the 1937 film Song at Midnight. The film itself is a loose adaptation of the classic Romeo and Juliet romance where love between two passionate lovers were...
. As a composer, Cheung won four nominations for Best Original Movie Song Award at the Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards and two nominations for Best Original Film Song at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
Return to music
In 1995, Cheung signed a contract with Rock RecordsRock Records
Rock Records is a Taiwanese record label founded in 1980 by Sam and Johnny Duan . The record label had their first multiseller in 1989 with Sarah Chen.It is now Asia's largest independent record label....
, returning to music as a singer. At the same year, he released his first post-"retirement" album, Beloved
Most Beloved
Most Beloved or Beloved is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung released in 1995 after a long personal struggle between deciding to make a comeback or to make good his retirement vow...
. Beloved achieved large market success with the award of IFPI Best Selling Album, but it did not receive much acclaim from music critics as it is a collection of Cheung's movie theme songs from 1993 to 1995. In 1996, Cheung released possibly his most highly acclaimed album, Red. Red was a fusion album, mixing smooth jazz, R&B, trip hop, etc., into Cantopop
Cantopop
Cantopop is a colloquialism for "Cantonese popular music". It is sometimes referred to as HK-pop, short for "Hong Kong popular music". It is categorized as a subgenre of Chinese popular music within C-pop...
, forming a consistent unique style. Cheung worked since then on cutting-edge music as well as Cantopop, his new music style being markedly different from before his earlier retirement. In this album, Cheung also composed another important song in his music career, Red. In 1998, Cheung released his first album in Mandarin (and also the only one originally in the language), Printemps
Printemps (album)
Printemps is a Mandarin album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1998. This album was the first and the only original Mandarin album produced by Leslie Cheung....
.
In 1997, Cheung held his first post-retirement concert series: World Tour 97, which lasted from 12 December 1996 to 17 June 1997. Like with the refinements to his musical style, Cheung introduced a new image to his audience. The most daring part possibly was the closing dance "Red" where Cheung did a tango duet in a pair of red high-heels with a macho dancer. World Tour 97 included 55 concerts: 24 concerts were held in Hong Kong Coliseum
Hong Kong Coliseum
Hong Kong Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena, in Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.It was built by the Urban Council and inaugurated on 27 April 1983....
and 31 concerts were held in the cities around the world. Among them, six concerts were held in Japan and mainland China respectively. World Tour 97 was the first concert series that Cheung held in these two areas.
In 1999, Cheung started a music company, Apex Music, signing a distribution contract with Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
(UMG). Important albums released via UMG
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
includes Count Down With You (1999), Big Heat
Big Heat (album)
Big Heat is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 2000. This album was released before Leslie Cheung's Passion Tour concert.The song 'Fever' won China's Original Music Award...
(2000), and Untitled (2000). The hit songs released by him during this period include "Passing-by Dragonfly", the top one hit song, "Big Heat", and "Left Right Hands", Top Ten Gold Song of the Year (1999). He also composed the song I (first released in album Big Heat
Big Heat (album)
Big Heat is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 2000. This album was released before Leslie Cheung's Passion Tour concert.The song 'Fever' won China's Original Music Award...
), which was considered by him as a song of self-statement. In 1999, Cheung was awarded the Golden Needle award (lifetime achievement award in Cantopop music). In 2000, Cheung had been assigned as the "Music Ambassador" of Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong
Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong
The Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong Ltd. is a copyright society in Hong Kong which aims to administer and enforce collectively the rights of composers and authors of musical works subsisting under the copyright law of Hong Kong SAR. Its motto is: "Protect Copyright - Let Creativity...
(CASH) until his death. Cheung also composed the theme song "Noah's Ark" for the CASH Golden Sail Award.
The later years
In 2000, Cheung held his last concert series, Passion Tour. Passion Tour included 43 concerts, lasting from 31 July 2000 to 16 April 2001. Cheung worked at the first time as the art director as well as the singer for the concert. He invited Jean-Paul GaultierJean-Paul Gaultier
Jean Paul Gaultier , born 24 April 1952 in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne, France) is a French haute couture fashion designer. Gaultier was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010. In the past, he has hosted the television series Eurotrash....
to design all eight costumes for the concert. However, the costumes, together with his long wig and beard, were criticized bitterly by Hong Kong media at the early stage of the concerts. Cheung later disclosed that Gaultier was very angry about the criticism and claimed in an email (sent to Cheung) that he would never design costumes again for any Asian performer. Despite the early criticisms from the media, Passion Tour achieved huge success. Passion Tour was highly welcomed in Japan and made Cheung hold 10 concerts there. Together with World Tour 97 concerts, Cheung set a record of foreign artists of holding 16 concerts in Japan. In China, Cheung set a record yet to be broken by holding two consecutive night concerts in Shanghai Stadium (capacity of 80,000). He was also awarded the "Grand Salute Award" (2000) by Mingpao Weekly (Hong Kong) and "Music Salute Award" (2000) from Chinese Pop Music Media Association (mainland China) for his work in Passion Tour.
By the end of the 1990s, Cheung had begun to focus on acting in non-romance roles. In The Kid
The Kid (1999 film)
The Kid is a Hong Kong movie starring Leslie Cheung. It also co-stars Yip Tuen Nam, Ti Lung, and Carrie Ng.-Synopsis:This drama highlights the social problems of single parents struggling to raise children and Leslie Cheung was given the role of a retired fund-manager Wing who lost his entire...
(1999, directed by Jacob Cheung Chi-Leung), he starred as a poor single father who fostered an abandoned baby boy. In the action thriller Double Tap (2000, directed by Lo Chi Leung), he played a psycho killer, Rick. In the 2002 psycho thriller Inner Senses
Inner Senses
Inner Senses is a 2002 Hong Kong psychological horror film directed by Law Chi-leung and starring Leslie Cheung and Karena Lam. The film explores themes on hallucination, clinical depression, psychological trauma and suicide. It is also the last film Leslie Cheung acted in before he committed...
(directed by Lo Chi Leung), he played psychologist Dr. Law, who discovered his own emotional issues when he tried to treat his patient Yan (Kar Yan Lam). His performance in these films earned him another Best Actor nomination from the Hong Kong Film Awards. He also garnered another two Best Actor Award nominations from Taiwan Film Festival. During this period, Cheung began to try his hand at film direction. In 2000, he directed his first movie, the 45 minutes From Ashes to Ashes. In 2002, he began to film his first regular length movie Stealing Heart. The film was not completed due to the deterioration of his health.
Sexual orientation
Cheung was bisexualBisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
and once said in an interview in Time magazine: "It's more appropriate to say I'm bisexual. I've had girlfriends. When I was 22 or so, I asked my girlfriend Teresa Mo
Teresa Mo
Teresa Mo Sun-kwan is a Hong Kong actress. She started her career in 1970s, and joined TVB in 1981. She became famous for being cast in The Justice of Life, which was based on Stephen Chow's works...
(his colleague in ATV of the time) to marry me."
Despite numerous tabloid
Tabloid journalism
Tabloid journalism tends to emphasize topics such as sensational crime stories, astrology, gossip columns about the personal lives of celebrities and sports stars, and junk food news...
rumors, he denied his homosexual/bi-sexual orientation for the first half of his career, until his stance relaxed considerably after emigrating to Vancouver. In the early 1990s he became one of the few Hong Kong actors who dared to play gay characters onscreen.
Cheung's first gay role was Cheng Dieyi in Farewell My Concubine (1993). Cheng Dieyi was a Beijing opera singer or Dan
Dan (Chinese opera)
Dan is the general name for female roles in Chinese opera, often referring to leading roles. There are a few different kinds of dan in Chinese opera. The commonly seen ones are 'Guimen Dan', 'Hua Dan', 'Daoma Dan', 'Wu Dan', 'Lao Dan' and 'Cai Dan'...
(male actor who plays female roles) who had fallen in love with his male singing partner. In Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai BBS is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized, emotionally resonant work, including Days of Being Wild , Ashes of Time , Chungking Express , Fallen Angels , Happy Together and 2046...
's Happy Together (1997), Cheung played another gay role, Ho Po-wing. He was nominated for the Best Actor Award at the Golden Horse Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
for his role in Happy Together.
In 1995 a Hong Kong tabloid published a photo of Cheung with another man, Daffy Tong Hok-Tak (唐鶴德). In a 1997 concert, Cheung openly revealed that Tong was his "most beloved" after his mother. The Hong Kong media eventually accepted the two men's relationship and the tabloid gave Tong the nickname Tong Tong (in the style of Gor Gor). After Cheung's death, Cheung's family published a full-page obituary in a Hong Kong newspaper, in which Tong was listed as a surviving spouse (未亡人). Tong, together with Cheung's eldest sister, was also designated as the executor of Cheung's estate.
Death
Cheung committed suicide on 1 April 2003 at 6:41 pm (HKT). He leapt from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel, located in the Central district of Hong Kong IslandHong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
. He left a suicide note saying that he had been suffering from depression. He was 46 years old.
As one of the most popular performers in Asia, Cheung's death shocked the Asian entertainment industry and Chinese community worldwide. Rumors about the cause of his death spread so fast that his family urged tabloids to let Cheung rest in peace, and not to sensationalize his sexual orientation and reasons for suicide. The day after Leslie's death, his longtime partner, Tong, confirmed that Cheung suffered from (clinical) depression and had been seeing psychiatrists for treatment for almost a year. He also revealed that Cheung had attempted suicide in 2002. Later at his funeral, Cheung's niece disclosed that her uncle had severe clinical depression and suffered much over the past year (2003).
Despite the risk of infection from SARS
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is a respiratory disease in humans which is caused by the SARS coronavirus . Between November 2002 and July 2003 an outbreak of SARS in Hong Kong nearly became a pandemic, with 8,422 cases and 916 deaths worldwide according to the WHO...
and the WHO
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
's warning on travels to Hong Kong, tens of thousands attended Cheung's memorial service, which was held for the public, on 7 April 2003, including celebrities and other fans, many from other parts of the world such as mainland China, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, the United States and Canada. Cheung's funeral was on 8 April 2003. For almost one month, Cheung's death dominated newspaper headlines in Hong Kong and his songs were constantly on the air.
Cheung's last album Everything Follows the Wind (一切隨風) was released three months after his death.
- Cheung's suicide note (translation): "Depression! Many thanks to all my friends. Many thanks to Professor Felice Lieh-Mak (Cheung's last psychiatrist, 麥列菲菲). This year has been so tough. I can't stand it anymore. Many thanks to Mr. Tong. Many thanks to my family. Many thanks to Fei-Fei (Lydia Shum Din-ha). In my life I did nothing bad. Why does it have to be like this?"
- Cheung's suicide note (Chinese): "Depression! 多謝各位朋友，多謝麥列菲菲教授，這一年很辛苦，不能再忍受， 多謝唐先生，多謝家人，多謝肥姐. 我一生沒做壞事 為何這樣?"
Selected awards
- RTV Asian Song Contest Runners-up with the song "American Pie" 1977
- Overseas Chinese Daily NewsOverseas Chinese Daily NewsOverseas Chinese Daily News is a Chinese language newspaper in Malaysia.- History:Its first newsprint hit the streets of Kota Kinabalu on 1 March 1936. It was the first daily in Sabah ....
The Best Newcomer Award 1977 - RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award winner with the song "Monica" 1984
- TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Award winner with song "Monica" 1984
- Commercial Radio Chinese Pop Songs Award winner 1984
- RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award winner with song Wild Wind 1985
- TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Award winner with song Wild Wind 1985
- Commercial Radio Chinese Pop Songs Award winner 1967
- RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award winner with song Who Can Be With Me 1986
- TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Award winner with songs Who Can Be With Me and, Love in Those Years 1986
- Commercial Radio Chinese Pop Songs Award winner 1986
- RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award winner with song Sleepless Night, Summer RomanceSummer RomanceSummer Romance is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1987. This album first catapulted the then struggling Leslie Cheung to instant fame and star status when first released...
is also the Best Selling CD of the year and IFPI Best Selling Album in 1987 - TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Award winner with song Sleepless Night
- RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award winner with songs Silence is Golden and Up Close 1988
- TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Award Most Popular Male Singer 1988
- CRHK Ultimate Song Chart Awards Best Male Singer 1988
- TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Award winner with song Start From Zero, and also winner of the Most Popular Male Singer 1989
- Commercial Radio Ultimate Song Chart Male Gold Award 1989 winner LESLIELeslie- Places :in Canada:* Leslie Street, road in Toronto and York Region, Ontario** Leslie , subway station located on the above road** Leslie Street Spit, artificial spit in Toronto, south of the above roadin Scotland:* Leslie, Fife...
, album is also the IFPI Best Album of the Year - IFPI Best Selling Album winner with Fondness 1999
- RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award Millennium Gold Song Award for "Monica" 1999
- RTHK Golden Needle Award (lifetime achievement award in Cantopop) 1999
- RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award winner with song Left Right Hand 1999
- CRHK Ultimate Song Chart Awards Top Ten Albums for Countdown With You 1999
- CRHK Ultimate Song Chart Awards Best Song Award for Left Right Hand 1999
- Metro Radio Hit Music Awards Best Song Award for Left Right Hand 1999
- Metro Radio Hit Music Awards Top Ten Best Hits for Left Right Hand 1999
- TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Awards Music Salute Award 2000
- Mingpao Weekly Outstanding Male Singer Award 2000
- Ming Pao Weekly Grand Salute Award for Passion Tour 2000
- Joint Award by RTHK, CR, TVB & Metro Radio for the Best Album of the Year winner with album Untitled 2001
- Chinese Pop Music Media Awards Best Male Singer Award 2001
- Chinese Pop Music Media Awards Best Concert Award for Passion Tour 2001
- Chinese Pop Music Media Awards Top Ten Chinese Songs for Passing Dragonfly 2001
- "Sprite My Choice" China Original Music Pop Chart Awards Golden Song Award for Fever 2001
- "Sprite My Choice" China Original Music Pop Chart Awards Millennium Outstanding Achievement Award 2001
- RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Awards Silver Jubilee Award of Excellence 2002
- Chinese Pop Music Media Awards Lifetime Achievement Award 2003
- Chinese Pop Music Media Awards Top Ten Chinese Songs for So Far So Close 2003
- CASHCashIn common language cash refers to money in the physical form of currency, such as banknotes and coins.In bookkeeping and finance, cash refers to current assets comprising currency or currency equivalents that can be accessed immediately or near-immediately...
My All-time Favorite Song for I 2003 - CASH Golden Sail Music Awards Best Alternative Composition for So Far So Close 2003
- Hong Kong Film AwardsHong Kong Film AwardsThe Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
winner Best Actor for Days of Being WildDays of Being WildDays of Being Wild is a 1990 Hong Kong film directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film stars some of the best-known actors and actresses in Hong Kong, including Leslie Cheung, Carina Lau, Maggie Cheung, Jacky Cheung and Andy Lau. Tony Leung Chiu Wai also appears in a silent cameo role lasting several...
1991 - Taiwan Golden Horse Film Festival winner Best Original Movie Song for White-haired Beauty 1993
- Chinese Performance Art Association Special Achievement Award for Farewell My Concubine 1993
- Japanese Critic Society Best Actor Award (Foreign Movie) for Farewell My Concubine 1994
- Hong Kong Film AwardsHong Kong Film AwardsThe Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
Best Original Film Song Award for Chase 1995 - Winner of HK Film Critics Society Best Actor Award for Ashes of TimeAshes of Time-Critical:When the film opened in Hong Kong it received mixed reviews. Critics found it so elliptical that it was almost impossible to make out any semblance of a plot, something very rare in a wuxia film....
1994 - Taiwan Golden Horse Awards, Udn, Phoenix TV, and World Journal Global Top Ten Chinese Movie Stars Award 1996
- Ming Pao Weekly Performing Arts Awards Most Outstanding Actor for Inner SensesInner SensesInner Senses is a 2002 Hong Kong psychological horror film directed by Law Chi-leung and starring Leslie Cheung and Karena Lam. The film explores themes on hallucination, clinical depression, psychological trauma and suicide. It is also the last film Leslie Cheung acted in before he committed...
2002 - Nikkei Entertainment Japan Top Ten Best Actors in Asia 2004
- NHK Japan Top Ten Favorite Movie Stars 2006
- Hong Kong Film AwardsHong Kong Film AwardsThe Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
Eternal Glory Performing Arts Award 2004 - Hong Kong Film AwardsHong Kong Film AwardsThe Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
Most Favorite Actor Award in 100 Years of Chinese Cinema 2005 - Hong Kong Film AwardsHong Kong Film AwardsThe Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
Silver Jubilee Best Actor Award 2006 - Standard Chartered Hong Kong Platinum Multi-Talented Award 2000
- CCTV-MTV Music Awards Biggest Asian Artist Award 2000
- Sina China Top 10 Cultural Idols of the 20th Century 2003
- Sina China Most Missed Artist 2007
- Sohu China "Remembering My 1997" Most Memorable Celebrity 2007
- CNNGO Asia's 25 greatest actors of all time 2010
- CNNGO Top 5 Global Music Icon No.3 2010
- CNNGO 19 most beautiful men from Hong Kong cinema No. 1 2010
Discography
- I Like Dreamin (白版碟) 1977
- Day Dreamin 1977
- 情人箭 (Lover's Arrow) 1979
- 風繼續吹 (The Wind Blows On) 1983
- 一片痴 (Craziness) 1983
- 張國榮 Leslie ("Monica") 1984
- 夏日精選 - 全賴有你 (Summer Best Collection - All Because of You) 1985
- 為你鍾情 (For Your Love Only) 1985
- 張國榮(迷惑我) Leslie Cheung (Allure me) 1986
- Stand Up 1986
- 張國榮 (當年情) (The Past Love) 1986
- 愛慕 (國語) (Admire) 1987
- Summer RomanceSummer RomanceSummer Romance is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1987. This album first catapulted the then struggling Leslie Cheung to instant fame and star status when first released...
'87 1987 - Hot SummerHot SummerHot Summer was a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung released in 1988 by Hong Kong record company Cinepoly and followed on the heels of the success of Cheung's Summer Romance the year before...
1988 - Virgin SnowVirgin SnowVirgin Snow is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1988. The album is the second album that Cheung released after he joined Cinepoly Records in Hong Kong....
1988 - Leslie '89Leslie '89Leslie '89 is a cantopop album by Leslie Cheung released in 1989 by Cinepoly Records of Hong Kong. It was also his supposed penultimate album before the final album Final Encounter also released in 1989...
張國榮 (側面) (Side Face or Profile) 1989 - Salute'89 1989
- Final Encounter 1989
- Dreaming 1990
- 寵愛 (BelovedMost BelovedMost Beloved or Beloved is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung released in 1995 after a long personal struggle between deciding to make a comeback or to make good his retirement vow...
) 1995 - 紅 (RedRed (Leslie Cheung album)Red is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1996.This album was Cheung's second post-"retirement" album and incorporated smooth jazz, R&B, trip hop, etc.,producing a different music style from Cheung's earlier albums....
) 1996 - FROM NOW ON (single) 1996
- PrintempsPrintemps (album)Printemps is a Mandarin album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1998. This album was the first and the only original Mandarin album produced by Leslie Cheung....
1998 - 這些年來 (EP) (All These Years) 1998
- 陪你倒數 (Count Down With You) 1999
- Big HeatBig Heat (album)Big Heat is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 2000. This album was released before Leslie Cheung's Passion Tour concert.The song 'Fever' won China's Original Music Award...
(大熱) 2000 - Leslie Untitled (EP) 2000
- Leslie Forever 2001
- Crossover 2002
- 一切隨風 (Everything Follows the Wind) 2003
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Hong Kong Film Awards Hong Kong Film Awards The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Erotic Dream of the Red Chamber | ||
| Dog eats Dog | |||
| 1980 | On Trial | ||
| The Drummer | |||
| Encore | |||
| 1982 | Energetic 21 | ||
| Crazy Romance Crazy Romance Crazy Romance is a 1982 Hong Kong film directed by Leung Tong Mei.-Cast and roles:* Natalis Chan* Sylvia Chang * Leslie Cheung * Hu Dawei * Siu Kwok Wah-External links:* *... |
|||
| Teenage Dreamers | |||
| Nomad Nomad (1982 film) Nomad is a 1982 Hong Kong film directed by Patrick Tam. It is about the experiences of a group of youngsters who feel lost and try to find the true meaning of life. Nomad is considered as one of the representatives of the Hong Kong New Wave films.-Plot:Louis is a lovely young man from a rich... |
Louis | Best Actor Nomination (1983) | |
| 1983 | The Drummer | ||
| Little Dragon Maiden Little Dragon Maiden Little Dragon Maiden, also known as The Brave Archer 5, is a 1983 Hong Kong film adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Return of the Condor Heroes... |
Yang Guo Yang Guo Yang Guo, style name Gaizhi , is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong.... |
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| First Time | |||
| 1984 | Merry Christmas | ||
| Double Decker | |||
| Behind the Yellow Line Behind the Yellow Line Behind the Yellow Line , also known as Fate, is a 1984 Hong Kong romantic comedy, with casting by Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, and Anita Mui.-Cast:* Leslie Cheung as Paul* Maggie Cheung as Monica* Anita Mui as Anita... |
Paul | ||
| Intellectual Trio | |||
| 1985 | For Your Heart Only | ||
| 1986 | Last Song in Paris Last Song in Paris Last Song in Paris is a 1986 Hong Kong romance film written and directed by Chor Yuen and starring Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui, Joey Wong and Cecilia Yip-Plot:... |
||
| A Better Tomorrow A Better Tomorrow A Better Tomorrow is a 1986 Hong Kong action film which had a profound influence on the Hong Kong film-making industry, and later on an international scale.Directed by John Woo, it stars Chow Yun-fat, Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung... |
Sung Tse-Kit | ||
| 1987 | Rouge Rouge (film) Rouge is a 1988 Hong Kong film, directed by Stanley Kwan. The movie is the adaptation of the novel by Lilian Lee.-Plot:Chan Chen-Pang, better known as the "12th Young Master" , was a fashionable playboy who frequented the opium dens prevalent in Hong Kong in 1934, where he met the high-class and... |
Chan Chen-Pang | Best Actor Nomination (1989) |
| A Better Tomorrow II | Sung Tse-Kit | Best Actor Nomination (1988) | |
| A Chinese Ghost Story A Chinese Ghost Story A Chinese Ghost Story is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic comedy horror film starring Leslie Cheung, Joey Wong, and Wu Ma, directed by Ching Siu-tung, and produced by Tsui Hark... |
Ning Caichen | Best Original Film Song Nomination (1988) | |
| 1988 | Fatal Love | ||
| 1989 | Aces Go Places 5: The Terracotta Hit Aces Go Places 5: The Terracotta Hit Aces Go Places 5: The Terracotta Hit is a 1989 Hong Kong action comedy film directed by Lau Kar-leung with action choreography by Lau Kar-wing. This is the fifth and last film of the Aces Go Places film series. Film stars Samuel Hui and Karl Maka from the original film series joined by new cast... |
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| 1990 | A Chinese Ghost Story Part II | Ning Caichen | |
| 1991 | Once a Thief Once a Thief (1991 film) Once a Thief is a 1991 Hong Kong crime film written and directed by John Woo. It stars Chow Yun-fat, Leslie Cheung, Cherie Chung, Kenneth Tsang and Chu Kong in a lighthearted heist themed action-comedy routine.... |
||
| Days of Being Wild Days of Being Wild Days of Being Wild is a 1990 Hong Kong film directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film stars some of the best-known actors and actresses in Hong Kong, including Leslie Cheung, Carina Lau, Maggie Cheung, Jacky Cheung and Andy Lau. Tony Leung Chiu Wai also appears in a silent cameo role lasting several... |
Yuddy | Best Actor (1991) | |
| Party of a Wealthy Family The Banquet (1991 film) The Banquet , also known as Party of a Wealthy Family, is a 1991 Hong Kong comedy film... |
self-imagined version of Tsang Siu-Chu | ||
| 1992 | Nam Kong Legend: Anti-Punk Squad | ||
| All's Well, Ends Well All's Well, Ends Well All's Well, Ends Well is a 1992 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Clifton Ko. The film stars Stephen Chow with Maggie Cheung, Leslie Cheung, Raymond Wong, Sandra Ng, and Teresa Mo.... |
So | ||
| 1993 | Farewell My Concubine | Cheng Dieyi | |
| The Eagle Shooting Heroes The Eagle Shooting Heroes The Eagle Shooting Heroes is a 1993 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Jeffrey Lau. It is a parody of Louis Cha's novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes.-Production:... |
Huang Yaoshi Huang Yaoshi Huang Yaoshi is a fictional character in Jin Yong's Condor Trilogy. He appears in the first two novels The Legend of the Condor Heroes and The Return of the Condor Heroes as a supporting character.... |
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| All's Well, Ends Well Too All's Well, Ends Well Too All's Well, Ends Well Too is a 1993 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Clifton Ko, and released as comedy fare as is the usual custom to entertain movie-goers on the Lunar New Year celebrations... |
David Copper Feel | ||
| The Bride with White Hair The Bride with White Hair The Bride with White Hair is a 1993 Hong Kong film directed by Ronny Yu and starring Brigitte Lin and Leslie Cheung.The film's main character, Lian Nichang, is loosely based on the protagonist of Liang Yusheng's novel Baifa Monü Zhuan, which had earlier served as source material for the 1982 film... |
Zhuo Yihang | Best Original Film Song Nomination (1994) | |
| The Bride with White Hair 2 The Bride with White Hair 2 The Bride with White Hair 2 is a 1993 Hong Kong film directed by David Wu. It is the sequel to The Bride with White Hair, with Brigitte Lin and Leslie Cheung reprising their roles as Lian Nichang and Zhuo Yihang... |
Zhuo Yihang | ||
| 1994 | Ashes of Time Ashes of Time -Critical:When the film opened in Hong Kong it received mixed reviews. Critics found it so elliptical that it was almost impossible to make out any semblance of a plot, something very rare in a wuxia film.... |
Ouyang Feng Ouyang Feng Ouyang Feng is a fictional character in Jin Yong's wuxia novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes and its sequel The Return of the Condor Heroes... |
|
| Long and Winding Road | |||
| Over the Rainbow Under the Skirt | |||
| He's a Woman, She's a Man He's a Woman, She's a Man He's a Woman, She's a Man is a 1994 film directed by Peter Chan Ho Sun and written by James Yuen and Lee Chi Ngai. It stars Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing, Anita Yuen Wing Yee, Carina Lau Kar Ling, Jordan Chan Siu Chun and Eric Tsang Chi Wai... |
Koo Ka-Ming | Best Original Film Song (1995) Best Actor Nomination (1995) |
|
| It's a Wonderful Life It's a Wonderful Life (1994 film) -Cast:* Raymond Wong - Kow-Foo Yum* Leslie Cheung - Roberto* Teresa Mo - Kow-An Yum* Fung Bo-Bo - Kow-Foo's Wife* Tony Leung Ka-fai - Kow-Kwai Yum* Anita Yuen - Shou-Kit Ho* Lau Ching-Wan - Cousin* Carol Cheng - Miss 'Coffee' Ho* Wong Jim - George... |
Roberto | ||
| 1995 | The Phantom Lover The Phantom Lover The Phantom Lover is a 1995 Hong Kong film starring Leslie Cheung and Jacqueline Wu. It was directed by Ronnie Yu and is a remake of the 1937 film Song at Midnight. The film itself is a loose adaptation of the classic Romeo and Juliet romance where love between two passionate lovers were... |
Song Danping | Best Original Film Song Nomination (1996) |
| The Chinese Feast The Chinese Feast The Chinese Feast is a 1995 Hong Kong film co-written, produced and directed by Tsui Hark, and starring Leslie Cheung, Anita Yuen, Kenny Bee, and Law Kar-ying.-Synopsis:... |
Sun | ||
| 1996 | Temptress Moon Temptress Moon Temptress Moon is a 1996 Chinese film directed by Chen Kaige. It was jointly produced by the Shanghai Film Studio and the Taipei-based Tomson Films... |
Yu Zhongliang | |
| Yang Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema | |||
| Viva Erotica Viva Erotica Viva Erotica is a 1996 Hong Kong film directed by Derek Yee and Lo Chi-Leung.-Plot:Viva Erotica is a sex-comedy film, though with a serious subject of how an artist has to compromise with his talents for living... |
Kwok Wing | Best Actor Nomination (1997) | |
| Shanghai Grand Shanghai Grand Shanghai Grand, also known as Shanghai Grand 1996 to differentiate this film from the more illustrious television series of the same Chinese title, The Bund , is a 1996 Hong Kong film directed by Poon Man-kit and starring Andy Lau, Leslie Cheung and Ning Jing.This film was directed by Poon Man-kit... |
Hui Man-Keung | ||
| Who's the Man, Who's the Woman | Koo Ka-Ming | Best Original Film Song Nomination (1997) | |
| Tristar Tristar (film) Tristar is a 1996 Hong Kong film directed by Tsui Hark.- Cast and roles include :* Moses Chan as Chen Junnan* Sunny Chan as Fa's partner* Leslie Cheung as Father Zhong Guoqiang* Radium Cheung * Chung King-fai as Dinosaur... |
Zhong Guoqiang | ||
| 1997 | All's Well, Ends Well 1997 All's Well, Ends Well 1997 All's Well, Ends Well 1997 is a 1997 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Alfred Cheung, starring Stephen Chow, Raymond Wong and Francis Ng.-Cast and roles:* Stephen Chow - Lo Kung* Raymond Wong - Lo Leung* Leslie Cheung - Youngest brother... |
||
| Happy Together Happy Together (film) Happy Together is a 1997 Hong Kong film directed by Wong Kar-wai, starring Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, that depicts a turbulent romance between two men... |
Ho Po-Wing | Best Actor Nomination (1998) | |
| 1998 | Ninth Happiness | ||
| A Time to Remember | Jin | ||
| Anna Magdalena Anna Magdalena Anna Magdalena is a 1998 Hong Kong film starring Kelly Chen, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Aaron Kwok. It was the directorial debut of production designer Yee Chung-Man.-Title:... |
Editor | ||
| 1999 | Moonlight Express Moonlight Express Moonlight Express is a 1999 joint Hong Kong/Japanese film directed by Daniel Lee and starring Leslie Cheung and Takako Tokiwa.-Cast:* Leslie Cheung - Shek Kar Bo / Tetsuya Misawa* Takako Tokiwa - Hitomi* Michelle Yeoh - Sis... |
Kar-Bo / Tetsuya | |
| The Kid The Kid (1999 film) The Kid is a Hong Kong movie starring Leslie Cheung. It also co-stars Yip Tuen Nam, Ti Lung, and Carrie Ng.-Synopsis:This drama highlights the social problems of single parents struggling to raise children and Leslie Cheung was given the role of a retired fund-manager Wing who lost his entire... |
Wing | ||
| 2000 | Double Tap | Rick Pang | |
| Okinawa Rendez-vous Okinawa Rendez-vous Okinawa Rendezvous is a 2000 Hong Kong film produced and directed by Gordon Chan, and starring Leslie Cheung, Faye Wong, Tony Leung Ka-Fai and Gigi Lai.... |
Jimmy Tong | ||
| From Ashes to Ashes | |||
| 2002 | Inner Senses Inner Senses Inner Senses is a 2002 Hong Kong psychological horror film directed by Law Chi-leung and starring Leslie Cheung and Karena Lam. The film explores themes on hallucination, clinical depression, psychological trauma and suicide. It is also the last film Leslie Cheung acted in before he committed... |
Jim Law | Best Actor Nomination (2003) |
Further reading
- Simon Broughton, Mark Ellingham, World Music Volume 2: Latin and North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific, BBC Radio, 2000, ISBN 1-85828-636-0
- Klein, A. (2003). Farewell, Leslie Cheung. Los Angeles City Beat. Retrieved 17 December 2005, from http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=457&IssueNum=26.
- Kei Mori, "夢想之欠片 (Broken pieces of dreams)", Renga Shyobo Shinshya Co Ltd, Tokyo, Japan, 2004, ISBN 4-902603-55-1
- Chitose Shima, "Leslie Cheung Interview", All About Leslie, p25–40, Sangyo Henshu Center Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, 1999, ISBN 4-916199-10-3
- Chitose Shima, Time of Leslie Cheung, Sangyo Henshu Center Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, 2004, ISBN 4-916199-59-6
- City Entertainment Editor Committee, Leslie Cheung's Movie World 2 (1991–1995), City Entertainment, Hong Kong, 2006, ISBN 962-8114-98-0
- De Hui, Leslie Cheung's Movie Life I, II, Shanghai Bookstore Publishing House, Shanghai, 2006, ISBN 7-80678-557-4.
External links
- レスリー・チャン（張國榮）スマイル
- http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/lil2lam/leslie.html&date=2009-10-26+01:50:10 In Memory Of Leslie Cheung
- Leslie Cheung Cyberworld Official website of Red Mission, providing material on Cheung's music, movies, interviews, photos, etc.
- Leslie Cheung Fan Club of China Official website of Leslie Cheung Fan Club of China, providing material on Cheung's music, movies, interviews, photos, radio, forum, etc.
- Watch the documentary film "Leslie Cheung - Hong Kong Star", shown by German - French TV channel Arte on 30 August 2007.
- Leslie Cheung Internet Fan Club Official website of the Leslie Cheung Internet Fan Club
- 张国荣遗书版本多
- 张国荣真假遗书之谜
- 张国荣遗书出现第二个版本全文寥寥五十余字