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Tony Leung: the unforgettable cowboy leading man of Asian cinema shows his true grit to a legendary director and fellow frontiersman

Interview, Sept, 2005 by Wong Kar Wai

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WKW: How was it shooting in the Gobi desert?

TL: We spent five hours a day going back and forth in a car from where we stayed to the location. It was amazing to be in that part of the Gobi desert, which is actually the Silk Road, The journey we took was amazing, I can imagine how people traveled in the ancient days from one place to another. The same journey would take three years to complete.

WKW: What about Infernal Affairs? I understand Martin Scorsese is making a new film, The Departed, based on that movie.

TL: We made Infernal Affairs at a time when the Hong Kong film industry was at its lowest. This film was the top-grossing box-office success that year and perhaps number two or three in our all-time box office. I was very happy to work with such an excellent cast. It was kind of a guys' movie.

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WKW: From a guys' movie, let's turn to some of the leading ladies you have worked with. In 2046, you acted against the best Chinese actresses of our time. Let's start with Zhang Ziyi. What do you think about her?

TL: Ziyi works very hard. You could see her progress in the film. As a young woman who grew up in Beijing with no experience of dancehall girls in Hong Kong, she has a vivid imagination to create the part. I am amazed by her discipline.

WKW: How about Faye Wong, the Diva of Chinese music? She had made only five films so far. But out of these five films, on three of them she has worked with you.

TL: Yes. Faye is very talented. The way she acts is not to act. There is no calculation or pretense. She is just a natural. It is very Faye Wong.

WKW: And how about Maggie Cheung?

TL: Working with Maggie is very different, as she is like my alter ego. We started our careers at almost the same time and acted opposite each other in our first television series and on some other occasions--like on the Days of Being Wild sequel, which was never released, and on Ashes of Time. But we did not work opposite each other again until In the Mood for Love. Maggie is a truly formidable partner--one to waltz with. We do not spend a lot of time with each other, as we like to keep some mystery between us. Whenever I see her, I discover something new about her.

WKW: So, the key for the two of you is the mystery between you?

TL: Yes, It helps. Otherwise it will become too predictable.

WKW: What about Carina Lau?

TL: Carina is the opposite of Maggie. We have been together for a long time, We know each other very well, but during our shooting we must pretend to be total strangers. It's fun for a short while.

WKW: Is it challenging to play opposite actors like Maggie Cheung, Carina Lau, Zhang Ziyi, Faye Wong, and Gong Li and be able to bring nuanced and different performances each time? In the film, we shot chapter by chapter, starting from Ziyi and ending with her. By the time we shot Gong Li's chapter, I remember you had long wanted to work with Gong Li. I was very surprised by your performance in the scene in which you met Gong Li's character underneath the staircase. In fact, that was the first scene you had filmed with Gong Li. I was moved. You brought a certain sincerity to your character, which had not been seen until then.

Tony Leung: the unforgettable cowboy leading man of Asian cinema shows his true grit to a legendary director and fellow frontiersman

Interview, Sept, 2005 by Wong Kar Wai

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