From HK Commercial Daily - March 23, 2002 - from Economic News

Cheung Kwok Wing - The Trend-Setting Superstar

Cheung Kwok Wing's impulsive character with impulsive words, clear cut with things he loves and hates, is well-known in the trade. People as heavy-weighted a superstar as he is now should feel indifferent to any kinds of weather, but despite over twenty years, Gorgor is still unpolished as ever.

"Many people talks eagerly about movie awards, Gorgor you really can't care less..."

"Who said I don't care? Unless I'm not nominated, otherwise I feel lost (if I didn't win), I would not be so generous to say it is good".

"Should take care of the youngsters," he is full of enthusiasm to movies, when he was shooting 'Inner Senses', in addition to fulfilling his job, he spent several hours to discuss scripts with the director, following all the shootings including those he got no part in, spent a lot of time coaching Lam Ka Yan, because he believes, "Your problem is my problem too".

Leslie Cheung, a bona fide Superstar, s'il vous plait.

(Caption to the picture of Inner senses) Co-operated with Law Chi Leung, Cheung sees it as playing a game in a cycle: in 'Double tap' he was self-proclaimed champion and took pleasure killing people, in 'Inner Senses' he is a thoroughly tragic figure with hints to reference to his previous role.

In 'Inner Senses' Cheung is a psychotherapist, while he was treating his patient Lam Ka Yan, he discovered surprisingly his own suppressed memories. To take this part, he visited his psychotherapist friend, "Normally he won't give you any info, only when engaged in discussion sessions, he becomes professional. I love to see psychotherapist. I feel he listens to you seriously, with firm eye contacts, I told him my childhood experience and noticed his movements carefully. Usually the lower part of his body doesn't move at all, together with his hand gestures, it aids your concentration. All these I have adopted to the film".

It's not a single incident, last time in 'Double tap' his role was also a psychologically disturbed person: he seems taking pleasure to challenge himself, one after another. His team, since 'Viva Eroica', 'Double Tap' and now 'Inner senses' all produced by Derek Yee and directed by Law Chi Leung. Law is not a popularly familiar director, but Gorgor is full of confident of his team.

Teenager Boy is out of question.

"I like these roles. I have over 70 films in 20 years, to play a teenager boy is out of question for me. I can't cheat anyone, haha, actually I think those romantic stories with some message of course have their market, but roles with certain depths are more recognized in international markets. I'm not being too ambitious. But I would like to try something different".

"Law Chi Leung was brought up all the way by me and Derek. At first they didn't intend to have me in 'Viva Erotica', but that guy hesitated to be nude, at that time I didn't have such baggage, I won't withdraw because of that, I don't mind as long as it is right for the film, even Michael Douglas acted in 'Fatal attraction'. Derek is a very loyal person. When he has a film, he always says "Let's try Leslie first", it seems I have built up a clientele, haha, let me play in a few films".

Here you have slip a bit...

Cheung said he has confidence in Law Chi Leung, it's because his "greenness". "Somebody like me having been in more than 70 films, sometimes would just create a character from one of the drawers out of the drugstore cabinet, so get used to it the acting skills become slippery. Law is new, he has his requirements and I like it. Some directors would say, "Gorgor, act as you feel suit" and dare not tell their requirements. But Law will remind me, "Hey, you have slip a bit here," in a dialogue, I will try different ways to present different effects, he will set frames to it, this is good."

There was a turning point in 'Inner Senses', he discovered some forgotten love letters in a dusted box from ages ago, memories recalled all at once, he suddenly broken down into hysteria, one take okay. He said this was the most difficult one. "Because the sensation is broken up within very short time, it went to all the flashbacks then come back, roll the camera, push up all the emotions, that moment is really tough on me, I could not bear to have more than 5 takes in these kind of shots. It must be accomplished within 1 to 2 takes. The act is very destructive, I would be very depressed when it is prolonged. Kevin Costner got an act in the courtroom for more than 10 minutes in JFK, that's brilliant. We got to learn that."

During the interview, Cheung brought up a concept. Acting is the process to "create something", which means "to make it memorable". Some actors, like Meryl Streep, I felt she's bit over the top. There is only 120 minutes in a film, how to charm the audience is important, because I believe, each shot is an opportunity. The first time he acknowledges this was from acting in 'Rouge'.

"Now everybody feels Master Twelve is just tailored-made for me. You know what, at first they intend to have Cheng Siu Ceo, later he couldn't make it, they have to look for someone else, Li Pak Wah then found me, "Though the role is bit small, Anita would like you to take it, she trust you, feel there is chemistry." The role isn't much, but I don't let it off easier, ended it up with extra scenes, this is what I call 'creation'".

'Inner Senses' described illusions coming out from suppressed hidden emotions, how Gorgor deals with depressions in real life? "For us veteran, lots of ups and downs throughout the years and attacks from everywhere... to talk about it, we have to go back to Alan Tam's time, that is not necessary. I think no matter how depressed, the first thing is to be strong upfront, ignore everything, it must be very painful inside, HK is a very pragmatic society, focus on your outer self, people are waiting to see your response. Of course there were times when I lost control, for example once while I was working people kept asking stupid questions, I have said, "Tiu", immediately they emphasized I swore, but most of time I could control myself well. See, I said I controlled myself well, I didn't say that never happens."

I am Ah Fei (the delinquent in 'Days of being wild'), Tony is Lau Ka Ling.

Besides teaming up with Derek and Law, Wong Kar Wai's 3 movies 'Days of being wild', 'Ashes of Time' and 'Happy together' are instrumental making the name Cheung Kwok Wing famous in movies. 'Days of being wild' definitely has made its mark in HK and even International movie scene. 'Ashes of Time', though not satisfactory in box office, is Gorgor's favourite. But working with Wong, whom you can never fathom what's in his mind, there are frustrations.

"With Law, normally there are one to two takes. But you know what, with Wong, a bed scene with Maggie took 39 takes. I would ask, if you can't clarify what's the difference after the 2^nd take, to be honest, I would hesitate."

"For example, after shooting 20 days, coming to the 21^st, he told you let's start all over again. Would you be frustrated? But because the end product is good, audience counts on that. Wong's magic is here. His team Cheung Suk Ping, Doyle... all don't care getting their share of fame, they beautify the acting, create a label style... probably one can only say, he has done something good in his last life, people owe him, if you ask if he's got ability, well, he has."

Treat Wong as a painter.

Not only Cheung Kwok Wing, Maggie Cheung also has the same confusion. "Even Maggie said Tall Man is difficult. Don't know what he want. I told her, take him as a painter, he has to work on many pieces of paper until he find the first right stroke, then it's better afterwards. During the process it is terribly painful."

One critic said, Wong's movies start off with Wong absorbing Cheung in himself.

"That's not surprising. While shooting 'Ashes of Time' Cheung Suk Ping said it's like shooting Ah Fei (the delinquent in 'Days of being wild'), Jacky Cheung said the same, I wasn't aware of it, Wong told me to act like that, I feel similar, the dialogue are deceiving people, going round and round, he's executing the whole thing, people also said Tony seems like Ah Fei in 'In the mood for love', you can say in 'Happy Together', I was Ah Fei and Tony was Lau Ka Ling (Lau was girlfriend of Ah Fei in 'Days of Being Wild'), hahaha, you can interpret like that, or, may be he's just Maggie, pathetic, he have to cook for you even when he's sick..."

But they haven't met since 'Happy together', people are saying they have arguments, to confirm it with Cheung, the truth is...

"There is no problem between me and Tall Man, but I have different opinions with some of his crew. I don't like it. There is something involving my concerts, I don't want to go to details here...to halt a while is pretty good, otherwise they may not have Tony for 'In the mood for love'.

To rectify 'woman imitating' allegations.

Cheung's latest album is 'Leslie Forever', as for concerts, there is no news since 'Passion' in 2000. Talking about the last time the 'imitating woman' allegations by the media, Cheung's first reaction was angry. Much later he turned happier.

"I have announced right at the beginning that I was not imitating woman. Does woman have beard? I was very hurt. HK people have potential to excel. But whatever you try, there is still room for people to enter attack. Do you understand? But to my creativity, I can't let their mentality to hinder my progress. The mainstream in HK is when breast bigger than brain that's good, digging into people's privacy is good... leading to lowering the depth of HK people's mentality further and further, that hurts me most."

What comforts Gorgor is the attention by international media. "Now it's over. Mainly it's 'Time Magazine' and the Japanese magazines rectified for me. 'Time''s heading was 'Tops on Fashions and Passions', and the Japanese called me 'The Natural Performing Artist'. What irritated me is, even HK feel there is no superstar in HK. Now how they worship Cheung Tung Kin and the Japanese idol, how good are they, are they better known than Leslie Cheung in the international market? People with eye knows I work hard to perform, honestly speaking, with the name of Leslie Cheung, I don't need to weave long hair, I don't need to be dressed by Jean Paul Gautier, this is only my ego, this is a question of trend setting, they have to follow my rule".

(Caption to picture of the concert: the 'woman imitation' allegations): "This is a question between correctness and incorrectness, I boost the showbiz to another level, they (the media) got a short vision, they alleged you going out of your way, but they don't admit you're good, they don't know how to protect their own elites in HK".

Remarks: 'Days of being wild" the Chinese title is 'The story of Ah Fei (meaning: delinquent youth)'

many thanks to Wing for the translation

back to articles - visit www.lesliecheung.info for Chinese version and pictures