As part of his promotional tour for the August 5th North American release of Wong Kar-Wai's much-anticipated 2046, Tony Leung Chiui-Wai recently met the press at the Beverly Regent Wilshire in Los Angeles.
After a brief sojourn in New York, Los Angeles was the second and final stop for Leung on his American tour.
Due to the large number of radio and print journalists in attendance, the proceedings were divided into two separate 45 minute press sessions – one in the morning for the English-language outlets and another in the afternoon for the Chinese media. Appearing in a violet blue shirt and brown jacket, the impeccably groomed and coiffed Leung was the epitome of gentlemanly elegance and charm. His soft physical features and flawless complexion were a sharp contrast to the athletic build and rough-hewn appearance of Stephen Chow Sing-Chi, who appeared at the same venue several months ago to promote Kung Fu Hustle. Perhaps because of the relevant questions posed by the Western reporters and their respectful tone, Leung was extremely expansive, speaking at length -- in excellent English -- on acting, working with Wong Kar-Wai, his leading ladies from 2046, the state of Hong Kong cinema and other assorted topics.
Speaking about the challenges of working on 2046, Leung said the toughest part was not the notoriously protracted shoot – he would only say his portion lasted "less than a year" – but the challenge of reprising the character of Chow Mo-Wan from In the Mood for Love. "I think it's much more difficult this time," said Leung. "I never tried before to revisit a character and add something new. This is what the director asked for on the first day."
Leung admitted that he thought he struggled during the first few months of the shoot as he received very little input from director Wong Kar-Wai. He was able, however, to gradually find the right characterization through trial and error. Although he described his relationship with the director as "strange", Leung nonetheless praised Wong for giving him the freedom to find his own interpretation. "We never discussed the story or the character – we never talked," claimed Leung. "With Kar-Wai there's nothing to prepare, because there's no script. With directors like Andrew Lau Wai-Keung (Infernal Affairs) and Hou Hsiao-Hsien (Flowers of Shanghai), I would get a lot of information in advance and we would work on the script a few months before shooting. I think both ways are very interesting, but not many people like Kar-Wai's style. I don't mind working in his style once in a while, but not all the time."
When asked to talk about his leading ladies from 2046, Leung said they were all different and special, though he obviously thought Faye Wong was more special as he talked mostly about her: "Faye is very unpredictable. She always claims she doesn't know how to act (laughs). She acts by instinct, so you don't know what will happen next. Working with her is very challenging, but it really brings out the best in me." Leung likened acting with Faye Wong to working opposite non-professional actors in director Hou Hsiao-Hsien's City of Sadness.
As for Gong Li, Leung singled out his kiss scene with her as his favorite and marveled at how well prepared she was and how quickly she was able to get into character. Leung: "I hadn't worked with Gong Li before, and I didn't know her very well. On our first day together in Macau we had the big kiss scene on the steps. I thought we needed to warm up but there was no time. She was prepared and made me feel very comfortable. It's great to work with someone who's such a professional." Regarding his career path, Leung said he's a very "passive" actor and does not seek out specific roles or certain genres to shape his career. He said that despite recently winning the Hong Kong Film Award's Best Actor prize for an unprecedented fifth time, he still has much to accomplish in HK. "There are still lots of characters for me to play," stressed Leung.
Indirectly acknowledging the dearth of opportunities for Asian actors in the West, Leung skirted a question about crossing over to Hollywood by saying he would like to participate in more Pan-Asian projects with Mainland Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese artists. He remarked that he would love to work with more Mainland Chinese directors and looked forward to teaming up with Zhang Yimou (Hero) again in the future.
Asked to assess the current state of Hong Kong cinema, Leung echoed the general consensus that bigger budgets, higher production values and more pan-Asian Chinese co-productions are the only way the local movie industry can survive. Though he agreed with Stephen Chow's recent assertion that there is a lack of talent among the new generation of actors in Hong Kong, Leung blamed the talent drought on a lack of opportunities in the local movie and television industries for newcomers to work on their craft. Leung: "Working at TVB was a great experience for me. I was able to practice my acting in all kinds of shows – drama, action and ancient costume. The newcomers are very talented but don't have the opportunities to practice their skills."
When the conversation turned to the topic of his next project, Leung revealed that he will work again with Andrew Lau Wai-Keung and the Infernal Affairs crew as they are preparing to do a crime drama about a detective and a serial killer. The story will be set in Hong Kong and, possibly, South Korea. According to Leung, the production is looking to bring aboard some new actors and actresses and, no doubt, appeal to the pan-Asian market in the process. Leung would not reveal whether he would play the detective or the serial killer. He also did not say whether Andy Lau Tak-Wah will again play his nemisis.
With time winding down, Leung was asked about his stay in the United States during the 2046 publicity tour. To this, he smiled and said he was thoroughly enjoying himself. He quipped that the warm reception and the VIP treatment he had been receiving made him feel like the President. Indeed, Leung displayed the tact and charisma worthy of a visiting head of state during his all-too-brief time with members of the Los Angeles press.
(hkentreview September 6, 2005)
