Huang Lei: I owed him a debt of gratitude for appreciating and recognizing me
When I saw Huang Lei, he was discussing the script of the soap opera 'The New Phantom Lover' with his crew members. Eight years ago, due to destiny, Huang Lei played in the movie 'The Phantom Lover' with Leslie Cheung.
The following was what Huang Lei said.
"On April 1, at about 6 o'clock, I received a brief message that Leslie committed suicide. I thought it must be some false information because it was the April Fool's Day. However, those news arrived one after the other, so I immediately made a phone call to Mandarin Films Limited and was told that it was real. How come he chose to jump to death when he loved beauty so much?
He was a superstar when 'The Phantom Lover' was filmed. Everyone called him 'Gorgor', and he would never let you feel remote from him. I remember well that before the movie was filmed, he invited the whole team to have Mutton Hotpot at Hou Fok House (a famous restaurant in Beijing for traditional Peking cuisine). He was especially caring and sent his regards to everyone in person. I filmed this movie because of him. In the past, I played in Chen Kaige's movie 'Life on a String', while he just finished filming the 'Farewell to My Concubine'. He saw me in that movie filmed by Chen Kaige and said, "This kid is not bad."
He was very good looking. His songs were so well sung that they were very pleasant to listen to. He still smoked at that time but quit afterwards. It was very cold then, in between shots, we would sit and wait in the reception room and smoke. He started to sing the theme song 'The Phantom Lover' which was written by him. When I sang it, he would join in singing the harmony. He was a very affectionate and caring person. Someone you could hardly forget.
Fate always brought us together. In 1996 when I went to Hong Kong to make a movie. I happened to be in a building and someone told me that Leslie was also in that building. When I went to see him, he was filming the movie 'Viva Erotica'.
The last time when we met, we were in Shanghai. He was making some promotions for the movie 'A Time to Remember', while I was doing promotions for my album 'I think I am Sea' and we happened to stay in the same hotel. The impression I had on that day was a very profound one. He peeled off the skin of some fruits for me to eat and we chatted for the whole afternoon. He did not have anywhere to go because he was too well known to everyone, so he could only stay in his room in the hotel.
He took special care of me when 'The Phantom Lover' was filmed. At the end of the movie, there was a scene of heavy rainfall. It was in March and April, and fire hose had to be used to get the effect. The drama group bought Leslie a diving suit to wear because he was the main actor, while newcomers like us would not have that privilege. We could only wrap our body with clear plastic strips. However, it did not work and water still could go through it. After he finished filming, he passed the diving suit to me. At that time, he also gave me all the opportunities for promotion.
Many unforgettable things happened when the movie was made. For instance, the exchange and interlocking of insight and judgment. He was someone who would continuously ponder on new creation and ideas, including the roles of other people. One specific scene that I remembered clearly was after his face was burnt and disfigured, he suddenly removed the mask he was wearing. That was not a feeling of acting in a movie, but what really sent a chill through me was his expression.
I listened to his songs since my childhood. The newspapers also said that he was the youth idol of the 25-35 years old generation. When I went to junior high, I knew how to make pirate copies already. Whoever got Leslie's new songs, I would give them a blank tape for copying. After Leslie came back (to sing), he had given me a copy of the special edition 'Adore Leslie'. His songs are extremely pleasant to listen to. I love him singing the theme songs of 'The Phantom Lover', 'The Bride with White Hair' and 'Farewell to My Concubine'."
The thing Huang Lei wanted most was to say to Leslie who is now in Heaven that "I miss you very much. I wish that you have your peace now and forget about the unhappiness."
Suddenly he said seriously: "Let's not guess the cause of his death anymore. He must have his own reason to do so. From this incident, let's reflect on how we should face the life and responsibilities."
- written by Meng Ching for 'Joint Publishing Life Week' on 2004-12-9
kindly translated by Daydreamer