REACTIONS FROM FRIENDS AND COLLEGUES...
Teresa Mo - after hearing the news she cried non-stop. The next morning she showed up at the radio station for her program at 10:00am with Cheng Dan-Sui. Mo Mo appeared looking very depressed, wearing sunglasses. When Cheng first talked about Leslie's death, Mo Mo began crying already; Cheng comforted her saying: "Really, if you can't do this, you don't have to go on.." But Mo Mo insisted to speak, "I want to say a few things.. Gor Gor left... I'm very upset, very sad..." She wept, "I've lost someone I've known since very young... a good friend who's loved and cared for me... I'm most upset is that.. he had always talked to me and helped me... the things he told me are still remaining... I believed he was really depressed, feeling very hopeless.. but he didn't give me a chance to help him, to help him walk through this road which he thought could only be solved by death.. I'm really upset..." Mo continued to cry non-stop. "This incident made me think a lot.. now HK is in such a mess.. economy so bad, and there's SARS.. everyone's tensed, under big pressure. at such a time we need love, we need to hold each other's hands to fight through this.. we need the voice of justice and at the same time we need to care and accept.." After giving this short talk in tears she was assisted back home, and Cheng continued to do the show himself.
Anita Mui - the very close friend whom fought through the years together with Leslie, was extremely upset upon hearing the news. She hid herself at home, kneeled in front of the Buddha in tears and read the chants for Leslie, to help him reach the 'pure land'. Her good friends are so worried about her that they took turns in guarding her 24 hours, not leaving her alone for one second. In Anita Mui's life, she had many friends, but in terms of real close friends, she only had two: Danny Chan and Leslie. Danny already left her 10 years ago, so she really valued this only best friend she's left with. The night when Anita got the news, she wasn't able to contain her emotions and broke down in tears completely. According to the news, after Anita came back from work that day, she was totally silent, and just kneeled infront of the Buddha in tears until dawn, and only slept a few hours in the morning; then she got up and continued chanting for Leslie. Her friends and family cancelled all her work for her. It was said that Anita has always had a wish to make a musical and to work with Leslie on stage again. Anita already started planning on it, expecting it to take place next year. It's regretful that this wish will never be fulfilled.
Pak Suet-Sin (Sin-Jeh, Chinese opera star) had been good friend with Lesile for very long. It was said that since she heard the bad news, she was completely silent and didn't speak a word and didn't give any reactions, which is making the people around her really worried. Everytime Sin Jeh had any event (e.g. birthday), Leslie would always attend for sure. She was also very caring for Leslie - she almost never attends any concert at all, but the one she went to was Leslie's 1997 "Red" concert - she not only watched it below the stage but even attended the celebration afterwards. Apart from that, every morning she'd always reject any friends or visitors, but Leslie was exceptional.
Alan Tam was with his crew discussing about his upcoming concert with Hacken Lee when the bad news of Leslie's suddenly arrived - he said that the whole crew immediately collasped, nobody had the mood to continue. Alan Tam said that this incident made him think; does being an artist make one vulnerable due to all the pressure? Do artists need to gather and talk regularly, have seek psychological help? Alan kept on sighing, said, "Me and Hacken were talking about the concert... suddenly got this news. I totally stopped right there in shock, all confused... gor gor cares a lot about beauty, he's an aesthete.. why would he take such a step? Really what would make him do that?" Alan continued to murmur to himself, "Is it for being an artist you have to take all the attention on you? Does that make it difficult for one to go through? Being an artist.. you always have to face rumours and attacks, you get confused." Alan said that he normally only met Leslie during public events, so they never had a chance to talk deep, but he said that earlier he wanted to have a talk with Leslie about how to deal with a runny nose - but now they don't have a chance anymore. When asked if he'd go comfort Anita Mui - who's said to be the most upset, Alan said, "Now everybody would be really sad, I guess I'll find her after a period of time."
Fei-Fei, Cecilia Cheung, Karen Mok, Tang Kwong-Wing, Sit Ka-Yin, Ti Lung ..etc showed up as guests for a memorial program on TV. Tang: "Why so silly? Thinking "leaving" is a very fresh move.. but it leaves so many burdens for the ones who love him." Cecilia Cheung cried in pain, recalling the time last year when she had a car accident and was hospitalized, Leslie came to visit her and gave her the charm he had worn for many years. Sit Ka-Yin, very emotionally unstable and crying painfully, that back then when she had marriage problems, Leslie helped her through it, making her very touched. Ti Lung , whom worked with Leslie in "A Better Tomorrow", said that earlier Leslie had met with Brigitte Lin for a movie, Lin found out that Leslie was very "heart very unstable! Very shaken! There's a problem!" After hearing that Ti Lung invited Leslie to his home for BBQ, wanted to help him out. "We really didn't do enough..." said Ti Lung.
John Woo was close to Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing. Upon learning his friend's suicide, he was rather upset and suffered from insomnia. He said with tears that later he will put the beautiful side of Cheung Kwok Wing on film in remembrance of his late friend. "A Better Tomorrow" created John Woo and Cheung Kwok Wing's friendship. Woo said: "I was very shocked, I really didn't want to believe it, hoping it wasn't true. He will forever be my "A Better Tomorrow"'s Kit Jai, who has his strong side, his weak side and is a very righteous person." The sudden news has caught the director who was shooting a movie off guard. "At the time I was working on a shot, Cheung Kwok Wing's face kept popping up. I was thinking of someone who is nearly perfect." John Woo's family was severely affected as well. "My two daughters kept crying, saying they lost Gor Gor. My wife and I looked at each other and said nothing. I couldn't sleep, not even after drinking two kinds of alcohol. I kept remembering him. The most painful part is I want to cry but I can't shed any tear, tears rolling in the heart are the most painful! Why is Heaven so unfair!". Gor Gor was a protegé of John Woo. He honestly said in "A Better Tomorrow", Chow Yun Fat and Ti Lung were the foci and Gor Gor was ignored. "I apologized to him, he gave so much; but he said he didn't mind. He even praised the others for doing well. His humbleness really moved me." Back then John Woo was not successful and economically he was not doing well. Gor Gor has asked him many times if he needed help, which Woo deeply remembered. "The movies that I make from now on will express the best side of his personality, his love for people. I hope everyone can cherish life and friends around them."
I'm wondering which are really worthy... - many thanks to Eunike and Joanna