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Leslie Cheung

Leslie Cheung

Acting

Biography

Cheung Kwok-Wing (Chinese: 張國榮, English name: Leslie, September 12, 1956 – April 1, 2003) was a Hong Kong Canadian singer and actor. Born in Hong Kong, Leslie Cheung moved to the United Kingdom in 1971, settling in Leeds, where he enrolled at university to study fashion design. After completing his studies, he returned to Hong Kong and, in 1977, took part in an amateur singing competition—the ATV Asian Music Contest—where he won second prize. The following year, he released his first album, I Like Dreaming. He soon began appearing on television and quickly landed his first film role in Erotic Dreams of the Red Chamber (1978), an erotic production that Cheung himself later described as a “shameful disaster.” Throughout a 26-year career from 1977 until his death, Cheung released over 40 music albums and acted in 56 films. He was one of the most prominent pioneers that shaped the identity of Cantopop during the 1980s. His studio albums Summer Romance (1987) and Most Beloved (1995) each sold over 300,000 copies and are among the best-selling albums of all time in the territory. In addition to music, Cheung achieved pan-Asian fame with such films as A Better Tomorrow (1986) and A Chinese Ghost Story (1987). He won the Best Actor at the 1991 Hong Kong Film Awards for his role in Days of Being Wild (1990). His venture into acting in the 1990s was recognized for his portrayal of queer characters in the then-conservative film industry, he was one of the few Hong Kong actors willing to take on gay roles—such as in Wong Kar-wai’s Happy Together—or to play a cross-dressing opera performer in Chen Kaige’s Farewell My Concubine, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1993. Leslie Cheung died by suicide on April 1, 2003, at the age of 46, by jumping from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong. In the note he left behind, he stated that he had been suffering from depression.

Known For

Farewell My Concubine
7.9

In an epic tale of theater, gender, love and class, two Beijing opera actors navigate political turmoil as their friendship evolves over decades.

Farewell My Concubine

1993
Celebrity Talk Show
9.5

No description available.

Celebrity Talk Show

1989
Once a Thief
6.8

Three orphans grow up to become art thieves under the tutelage of a crime boss. Romance complicates matters when the trio are double-crossed.

Once a Thief

1991
Dynasty
N/A

During the later years of the Kangxi Emperor's rule, his many sons were vying for the throne. The fourth prince, aided by Lusi, Nian Gengyao, and Han Chong, while the fourteenth prince had the support of martial arts master Zeng Jing. The competition between the two became intense. Lusi developed a romantic relationship with the fourth prince while Zeng Jing also had feelings for her, making their situation more complicated. Later, the fourth prince killed Kangxi and altered the imperial edict, successfully usurping the throne and naming himself Emperor Yongzheng. From then on, Yongzheng ruthlessly eliminated dissidents and even betrayed those who helped him, causing Lusi to regret her involvement. Ultimately, the fourteenth prince plotted to assassinate Yongzheng with the help of Zeng Jing and Lusi, igniting a fierce battle.

Dynasty

1980
A Better Tomorrow
7.4

A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.

A Better Tomorrow

1986
星空下的傾情
N/A

No description available.

星空下的傾情

1997
A Chinese Ghost Story
7.3

A naïve young tax collector for the imperial government winds up spending the night in a haunted temple. There he falls in love with a beautiful woman who, unfortunately, is dead. With the aid of a powerful Daoist Swordsman, he must defeat undead hordes, overcome a sinister Tree Demoness, and descend to the pits of hell, to fight for the spirit he loves.

A Chinese Ghost Story

1987
Crocodile Tears
8.0

Restaurant owner Lu Ganyu has two sons and a daughter. His eldest son, Lu Wenjun, becomes a journalist and later opens his own newspaper. However, his newspaper is suppressed by rivals, making him realize the cunning nature of the business world and prompting him to change. Wenjun uses the wealthy Huang De to help him, but he later forces Huang to sell his shares. Wenqi, Wenjun's sister, marries Huang despite her family's objections, but they don't get along. Wenjun falls in love with Xiao Ailian and Zou Shujuan. Although he marries Shujuan, he can't forget about Ailian. In his bid for success, Wenjun ignores his family and even associates himself with Meng Yanhong, a famous matchmaker, leading to his eventual success but estrangement from his loved ones. Meanwhile, Huang and Wenjun's enemies conspire to take him down.

Crocodile Tears

1978
Viva Erotica
6.8

Struggling director Sing is forced to make a Category III film for a triad boss who wants his girlfriend to star, leading to conflicts over artistic integrity, nudity, and his relationship with his own girlfriend.

Viva Erotica

1996
Happy Together
7.6

A couple travels from Hong Kong to Argentina to revive their relationship but experience turbulence when both men's lives drift in separate directions.

Happy Together

1997
Gone with the wind
N/A

No description available.

Gone with the wind

1980
Days of Being Wild
7.3

Yuddy, a Hong Kong playboy known for breaking girls' hearts, tries to find solace and truth after discovering the woman who raised him isn't his mother.

Days of Being Wild

1990
Rouge
7.4

Amid the opulent teahouses of 1930s Hong Kong, a humble courtesan and the wayward scion of a wealthy family fall in love and embrace death by suicide pact. Fifty years later, her ghost returns to find him, drawing a young contemporary couple into her quest to rekindle a passion that may be as illusory as time itself.

Rouge

1987
The Eagle Shooting Heroes
7.1

A power struggle between the Queen's treasonous lover and a princess occurs amid musical numbers, slapstick battles, and martial arts acrobatics.

The Eagle Shooting Heroes

1993
All's Well, Ends Well
7.1

Three brothers living with their father fib and play pranks to win parental approval for themselves and their romances.

All's Well, Ends Well

1992
The Fallen Family
N/A

No description available.

The Fallen Family

1985
珠海枭雄
N/A

No description available.

珠海枭雄

1981
A Better Tomorrow II
7.1

A restauranteur teams up with a police officer and his ex-con brother to avenge the death of a friend's daughter.

A Better Tomorrow II

1987
Ashes of Time
7.1

Ouyang Feng is a heartbroken and cynical man who spends his days in the desert, connecting expert swordsmen with those seeking revenge and willing to pay for it. Throughout five seasons in exile, Ouyang spins tales of his clients' unrequited loves and unusual acts of bravery.

Ashes of Time

1994
The Banquet
5.8

Developer Tsang Siu Chi and his agent have bought two of a group of four properties. Rival developer Boss Hung has secured the other two. Both aim to buy all four so they can knock them down and build hotels.

The Banquet

1991