Leslie's chat with radio DJ before the "Pillow Concert" - FM 903 on March 2nd, 2000

Old causal chats with radio DJ the day just before the Commercial Radio Live Concert "Pillow", revealing how he feels with some long-term female friends, his view of life, Hong Kong movie shooting practice, preparing for the "pillow" concert... 

V: Yesterday we talked about Anita Mui, you got a lot of sparks when work together. Though seldom get together in private, but every time you do, the friendship is always there, how do you create that spark when you work together?

L: I can tell you now, for a long time we had performed on stage in foreign cities, but we never rehearsed! Ha!

V: Haha, really? On stage that...?

L: We never need to rehearse. When we look at each other, oh, right foot now? Right foot together, left foot? Left foot together.

V: Really? Within a split second, I move when I see you move?

L: We interact just like that.

V: The record company can be that relaxed?

L: Just like that. Even now when being special guest to her concert, especially when singing "Chances (yuen fan)", the song's atmosphere is very romantic, we are separated by a distance, (when we sing) "we are so far apart..." we don't need to rehearse how we move around on the stage.

V: Really?

L: And you know once Mui was used to be "sick", at rehearsal time, we were told "Ms. Mui is sick." "Oh, sick? Okay, I take her place to rehearse then".

V: Haha, then to mark her place by tapes?

L: No, no need for tapes. This is our mutual understanding. Even in films. We had 4 great films together, once start shooting we know what each other wants, both satisfying the director's requirement.

V: She is a woman who is loyal to friendships. How about her private life? Every time she repeated the same saying, "being a female celebrity is difficult." Have you discussed this with her?

L: Yes.

V: Is it something like "Lonely nights (name of Gorgor's song)"?

L: Ha! Yes, but she has some other... I can't say irrespondibly that she has a large group of friends with her, so what, actually with her private life only herself knows best, even we are very good friends and can have in-depth talks, but still can't...

V: Is it kind of if you would like to talk, I'll like to listen...

L: Yes.

V: Do you have some friends not a in-depth relationship, but very interesting to know, even if they are funny in what their doing, in the way of thinking and in the way they talk?

L: Susie Wong, she is something like that.

V: Ha! Ha! I know it will be your answer.

L: Susie is very close to what you describe. Very funny. She is close to becoming a mixture of two sexes.

V: Ha Ha.

L: I feel that... especially lately a lot of people are afraid of influenza. Before you can recover in 3 days when you drink lots of water and have a good sleep. Now is different, you can be sick for over ten days, coughing to your death or like me some time ago, lost the voice. Susie is no exception, she fell ill also. What I try to say is, when people fell ill for some time, they will consider, is there something wrong with my doctor? May be I need a second opinion?

V: And no longer that young anymore, ha.

L: After a third doctor, may be consider a fourth doctor... but she is not like that, she seems to marry to her doctor...

V: Really?

L: Really. From beginning till end still that doctor...

V: Seeing the same doctor everyday, even knowing that the doctor may be cheating...

L: All her friends feel this seems not right. Why still this same treatment? Even her best friend advised her to switch doctor, she just ignore, just like she has married to this doctor.

V: She has married to the Commercial Radio too! Coming to her program here everyday.

L: She is a very loyal person. Even now, the number of her friends does not increase much. The same group Wong Po Chu and us, and her best friend and lover nearly fall out with us...

V: Really? Wow, you're spilling her beans!

L: The saying is: "Already seeing each other daily, why still want to see?" After playing mahjong, it was 11pm, she was still saying, "Going? You want to go?" it's exactly our dialogue. Then we went to coffee shop to have a drink, her lover would scream, very unhappily, " I have to go, I go to bed!"

V: Is that so? Really?

L: We're accustomed to that. They are very emotional. Friends are the first priority. In earlier times good friends are the ones they borrow money from, haha.

V: What more beans will you spill about her? Is there anything you can't tell?

L: There's nothing you can't tell, Susie Wong, haha.

V: Is your life full of entertainments?

L: Mine? My life should be very much in order, scheduled.

V: Really? Aren't you the one who would just do what you like?

L: You seldom find me mucking around late at night. When do you read in the newspaper that I fool around at night?

V: Even then...

L: Or you may say when I was younger I had been around at the double-named disco. It seemed mandatory for all youngsters. Now I feel I'm quite homeward bound.

V: Home abiding...

L: Gathering always with a group of "limited edition" friends.

V: You prefers to enjoy that kind of ... but is there a period Leslie feels living life?

L: Living life? I can't say I haven't lived life. All the way I have been living life.

V: But there was a period you were struggling hard.

L: I struggled to earn income for my living. But now you can say I can relax a little, back up a little, that is living life, and this life I feel quite happy and meaningful.

V: Now is it the life you have been dreaming about all along? I have been living this long, having gone through the sufferings, well-received while with fame... you know what I mean, every day is...

L: You mean I'm satisfied with my life now. That is not absolutely true. I think I always look forward, may be with some anxiety. If it is possible to get improvement, it is better. May be with an awakened mind to reflect your thoughts, you might feel you are demanding too much, I don't mind being better, but now it is not bad.

V: What you possess...

L: Compared to some, I own less, compared to others, I'm better.

V: Aha. Talking about sorry times, are they far away from you?

L: Yes.

V: Really far away?

L: Yes

V: Are you easily prone to cry?

L: Not easily.

V: I see your eyes are watery. Are you tired?

L: I cry easily only when... It's strange. When I see movies or at the presentation ceremonies, I hesitated to see the older generations, like those "great honor award". Except when presenting to Leslie Cheung I don't cry, when presenting it to others, especially to those who are too old to stand steadily, was helped to the stage, while the audience standing up in applause, I would be deeply touched, or seeing films of the younger generation, that kid acts beautifully, then I can't control myself. Whereas at people's death or departing moments, I would feel, "Well, that's acting", do you understand? Just like that.

V: You are easily moved by people older or younger than you.

L: Yes.

V: I wud like to know your present view of life, Gorgor.

L: I think...

V: Is it remaining the same from the right beginning, or it has been changed several times?

L: I can't say it has never been changed. Sometimes it's changed before you're aware of it. And I feel... how to say it? Wow, this is a serious question, but I want to tell you the truth, now I can tell you I am much happier than before, I'm less drilling myself to a dead end, less arrogant, less self-pity, let's say I'm pretty happy now.

V: There are things that I fear...

L: What are they?

V: I fear people around me are leaving, things like that...

L: That's not a problem with me. My friends and people around me are of similar age like me. My fear was about two years ago when my mum left, you know the senior people at their age...

V: This is my fear. Do you understand?

L: Yes, at that time I have the fear, but now... like my sister, she is still young, I don't have that feeling.

V: I still have anxieties in this respect.

L: Besides aging, it's difficult to tell for anybody. Today I chat with you here, we don't know what will happen tomorrow. That is to say, don't worry too much, there are things you can't...

V: Is it like digging up things to worry about?

L: Describing it in slang, that is "picking the worms".

V: Ha, ha, "picking the worms", just now was so sentimental, now suddenly change to "picking the worms"? Wow!

L: Ihis is to match yr program! Ha!

V: Ha! Today we have invited special guest "picking the worms", the worm-picking specialist Leslie Cheung!

L: When you're living longer, you look back, you feel silly to think about this. Because it is rightful in the verse of Ms. Siu Feng's song," let my life be arranged". Many times things have been scheduled, you just have to follow the order. For example in my case, in 1989, I said I quit singing and acting and would search for new life in another country. In a year, I have a 360 degree of change, I came back to Hong Kong, and start new things again. In the beginning there was this face matter, do you understand? "oh, sorry". Ha. Just saying farewell, come back again. This is fate's destiny, you can't escape. When you think about this, you will feel... now people in this room, looking on me saying he has gone to a new place to seek a change, of course this is just a change, or may be a turning point in a lifetime, but in fact there are things in life you are destined to do which you have never thought of.

V: You don't have any regrets? 1989...

L: No, no.

V: Will it be? Aah...

L: May be somebody will come to tell me, " If you didn't retire, there will not be "Four Kings (of pop)", my reply is "Nonsense". Do you understand? Actually those newcomers were there, it just happened at that time Alan Tam declined awards, Leslie retires, Anita farewell stage, these occupied the coverage, people just did not notice the rise of these four.

V: When your recall all these...

L: I have never regretted anything that I have done.

V: You have no regrets. But you said there are destined things in life. Did you in destiny feel sorry to a person, some regret to a person?

L: I can't think of any. At this moment I really can't think of any.

V: That means you are quite...

L: The only thing may be to my class teacher that I did not keep my promise to end up nr. 1 every year.

V: This is rather easy to accommodate...

L: Just this. Nothing else.

V: Or for example I'm not treating somebody good enough?

L: Oh, no, I always treat people very well.

V: HaHa!

L: Truly, no. The only time... If you really want to label something to talk about...

V: I know, it's your class teacher in year 2! Haha!

L: No, no. Something like I was shooting recently, sometimes I would... for things like this you have think about the chicken and egg paradox. For example I have signed contract to act in a film, 10 hours shooting a day. Within these 10 hours, Leslie is perfectly professional. I'm totally yours. I will do anything required of me, even jumping into a dung pit. Okay. But when the shooting continued to the 16^th hour, I would have temper. Do you understand? I would say," I don't want to shoot anymore, it's way overtime" then came a so-and-so director and begged me to shoot, then I stay to shot with a black face. "Okay, I stay". In the film of course you don't see my "black face", but I was showing my "black face" to the director behind the screen. But which come first? Chicken or egg?

V: Who should feel sorry?

L: Exactly. Who should feel sorry? Frankly speaking, if I were working 10 hours according to contract, I am perfectly professional, I can be jolly funny, everyday leaving chewing candy, drinking coke and everybody is happy. In the end who is wrong? I don't know if I'm not treating him well, or he is ill-treating me?

L: Like when I talked to Ms Josephine Siu about this. She said, " I would like to act in movie too, but I have this hearing problem, I can't shoot more than 6 hours a day, which director can accept this?" I said, "There must be one. You are such a good actor. If one day I would be a director and there is a role I feel you are the most suitable, I definitely will invite you." She said, " I have tried before. They promised when they begged me. It all changed in the actual shooting." Do you understand? Back to the previous problem, right? If you didn't lie, or you don't need Leslie Cheung, you can take anybody on the street, he can work through 36 hours and still can continue when his stomach collapses, then get that person, I don't care. But if you want somebody professional, somebody who shines on the screen... Hey, think, you hide behind the camera, wearing dark glass, you can shoot under any condition, but it is impossible for me. I have to face people. And I know Leslie Cheung can only work 12 hours. After 12 hours he will have panda eyes, his eye bags will fall down to his chest! And you director continue to hide behind the camera to shoot 26 hours, 72 hours, it's nothing. Nobody is seeing your face. Right? But I have to let people see my face. People will say, "Oh, he is old, his face full of wrinkles!" It's true. I'm not talking about my film. I went to see other's film. I'm a very sensitive person. I was saddened by such comments, not to say they're not acting well, but they looked worn out at that time. They might have just overworked at that period. Right? Today we might have gone too far from our subject, but I still want to say, lately I was shooting a film in Tsing Yi shopping centre, now my assistant outside is nodding, he understands what I'm talking about, I was acting an psycho killer, director requested a special make-up to cover up the eyebrows, draw a thick black circle around the eyebags, with pink eyeshadow to exaggerate the hollow, hunting eyes, after my make-up, those people (in the shopping center) said, "Oh, he's so ugly!" "So old!" it's like that, people don't understand, when you come out under make-up... so I hesitated to shoot in the street...

V: Being scrutinized head to toe...

L: Ah. One day you disposed a little "charms", "charming" those people on the street; the other day you dressed a bit shabby, people will be critical. People critical on your being old, on your a bit less than perfect, and many other things. Think about us artists, don't say we're earning a lot, hey, we are under scrutiny all the time. My, sometimes I feel it is better to be a fishmonger, slip in clogs and apron, who cares if I were old, full of wrinkles or looking worn out. You understand what I mean?

V: Even a daily intake of shark pills can't help!

L: Do you agree?

V: Listening to Leslie, you have a lot of friends who are idols very distant from us, like Ms. Josephine Siu. Do you have an idol you adore most?

L: I never worship any particular person. And I never hate anyone. So sometimes when I see somebody got "boo" - of course when I was being "boo" I can't distance myself from it - but when I saw others, I feel, "Why? Aren't they born by parents just like you? Why are they being booed and abused like hell? Some people weighing 300 lbs but commenting on others,"Oh, he's so fat" but that person weighs only 130 lbs! Hey, mate, is being fat a crime? I feel some people are very mean and critical to others, for example like a singer got a bit out of tone in performance, you don't need to scold him like hell. But there are always people like this. There are all sorts of people out there, you can't do anything. You choose this profession, you have to bear with it. Especially to the new artists, you have to turn those "boos" into challenges to motivate yourself and to consider how to persuade people to like you more.

V: Finally, I would like to know to welcome the "live concert" tomorrow night...

L: Yes?

V: Probably our audience have great difficulties to get a ticket, I guess they will sort of laminate the ticket after the concert, do you understand? Do you have anything to say to prepare them for the concert?

L: When you come to tomorrow's concert, please bring your heart along! Ha! Because I would like everybody to be happy and adore the concert, I will give my best to everybody, may be one or two bits will be out of tune, I don't know, may be it is because the audience making me feeling high, I don't know whether it will happen, but I hope everybody have the greatest fun! 

V: Ha, will you throw the microphone stand?

L: I don't know, it's spontaneous, not scheduled.

V: I have to tell the crew to be careful!

L: No need. If I throw, it won't hit anybody. Very professional.

V: Then throw it to me! Ha ha!

L: Tomorrow there will be a lot of familiar songs, and a lot of songs may be surprises.

V: What about the clothes?

L: Clothes?

V: Will it be like "Lover's arrow" those glittering...

L: May be Girodano, or...

V: Hey, before your appear on stage, I guess which is your style, is it shouting "wa, wa", or out, out, don't disturb me?

L: Didn't I say to have the greatest fun?

V: I'm talking about backstage, will you be nervous?

L: No, I enjoy having my own show.

V: Then the band need not come. Ha Ha!

L: Ha Ha. Nasty.

V: Ha Ha.

L: You need not come. Ha.

this long translation is a very special Valentine's gift of my dear friend Wing - thank you so much!

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