Tony Leung on Existential Boredom and Wong Kar-wai's Transformative Influence
Tony Leung, the 63-year-old Hong Kong actor, revealed in a Madrid interview that he nearly quit acting due to existential boredom before meeting director Wong Kar-wai in 1990 on the set of Days of Being Wild. Leung, who won Best Actor at Cannes in 2000 for In the Mood for Love, credits Wong with reigniting his passion. He discusses his latest film Silent Friend, directed by Ildikó Enyedi, set in Marburg, Germany, where he plays a neurologist during the pandemic. Leung reflects on his childhood after his father left, his early career selling appliances and studying at TVB, and his collaborations with directors like Hou Hsiao-hsien, John Woo, and Ang Lee. He has three homes in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Hokkaido, and is married to actress Carina Lau.
Key facts
- Tony Leung nearly quit acting before working with Wong Kar-wai.
- Leung won Best Actor at Cannes in 2000 for In the Mood for Love.
- His latest film is Silent Friend, directed by Ildikó Enyedi.
- Leung studied at TVB and began his career in comedy roles.
- He has worked with directors Hou Hsiao-hsien, John Woo, and Ang Lee.
- Leung has three homes: Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Hokkaido.
- He is married to actress Carina Lau.
- Leung learned Mandarin for Hou Hsiao-hsien's A City of Sadness.
Entities
Artists
- Tony Leung
- Wong Kar-wai
- Maggie Cheung
- Stephen Chow
- Hou Hsiao-hsien
- John Woo
- Chow Yun-Fat
- Andy Lau
- Andrew Lau
- Martin Scorsese
- Ang Lee
- Ildikó Enyedi
- Carina Lau
- Willem Dafoe
- Nat King Cole
Institutions
- TVB
- Cannes Film Festival
- Golden Lion
- Academy Awards
- EL PAÍS
Locations
- Hong Kong
- Madrid
- Spain
- Buenos Aires
- Argentina
- Marburg
- Germany
- Cambridge
- UK
- Sydney
- Tokyo
- Hokkaido
- China