Leslie Cheung
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
1993
Celebrity Talk Show
1989
0Dynasty
1980
A Chinese Ghost Story
1987
Happy Together
1997
Crocodile Tears
1978
0Gone with the wind
1980
A Better Tomorrow
1986
Days of Being Wild
1990
Ashes of Time
1994
A Better Tomorrow II
1987
Viva Erotica
1996
Filmography
Farewell My Concubine
as Cheng Dieyi / Xiao Douzi · 1993
Celebrity Talk Show
as 张国荣 · 1989
Dynasty
· 1980
A Chinese Ghost Story
as Ling Choi-san · 1987
Happy Together
as Ho Po-wing · 1997
Crocodile Tears
· 1978
Gone with the wind
· 1980
A Better Tomorrow
as Sung Chi Kit · 1986
Days of Being Wild
as Yuddy · 1990
Ashes of Time
as Ouyang Feng / Western Venom · 1994
A Better Tomorrow II
as Sung Chi Kit · 1987
Viva Erotica
as Sing · 1996
The Spirit of the Sword
as 方宝玉 · 1978
The Fallen Family
as 方浩天 · 1985
Once a Thief
as James / Jim · 1991
Tai Chi Master (II)
· 1981
A Chinese Ghost Story II
as Ling Choi-san · 1990
星空下的傾情
· 1997
The Bride with White Hair
as Cho Yi Hang · 1993
The Eagle Shooting Heroes
as Huang Yaoshi · 1993
Dynasty (II)
· 1980
珠海枭雄
as 六少 · 1981
Moonlight Express
as Tatsuya Misawa / Shek Karbo · 1999
The Chinese Feast
as Chiu Kong Sun · 1995
Agency 24
· 1981
Rouge
as Chan Chen-Pang · 1987
Once Upon An Oridinary Girl
· 1984
The Bride with White Hair 2
as Cho Yi Hang · 1993
Pairing
as 大官 · 1981
All's Well, Ends Well
as Shang So · 1992
Who's the Woman, Who's the Man?
as Sam Koo Gai Ming · 1996
Hong Kong Tragedy
· 1978
Aces Go Places V: The Terracotta Hit
as Brother Thief · 1989
All's Well, End's Well '97
as Self · 1997
Shanghai Grand
as Hui Man Keung · 1996
The Banquet
as Little B-head · 1991
Anna Magdalena
as Editor · 1998
Temptress Moon
as Yu Zhongliang · 1996
One-Tenth of a Millimeter Apart
as Self (archive footage) · 2021
Buenos Aires Zero Degree: The Making of 'Happy Together'
as Self · 1999
Double Tap
as Rick Y.H.Pang · 2000
凹凸神探
· 1982
Behind the Yellow Line
as Paul Chan · 1984
Inner Senses
as Jim Law · 2002
He's a Woman, She's a Man
as Sam Koo Gai Ming · 1994
Make a Wish
· 1980
Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema
as Self · 1998
Leslie Cheung Special '89
as Leslie · 1989
Ashes of Time Redux
as 欧阳锋 · 2008
Okinawa Rendez-vous
as Jimmy Tong · 2000
Nomad
as Louis · 1982
Little Dragon Maiden
as Yang Guo / Yang Kang · 1983
All's Well End's Well, Too
as David Copper Feel · 1993
Fatal Love
as Chi Ken Wing · 1988
For Your Heart Only
as Piggy Chan · 1985
From Ashes to Ashes
as Lawrence · 2000
In Memory Of Leslie Cheung
· 2023
The Intellectual Trio
as Inspector Chan Wing · 1984
It's a Wonderful Life
as Roberto · 1994
Tri-Star
as Chung Kwok Keung · 1996
Merry Christmas
as John · 1984
The Drummer
· 1983
Crazy Romance
as Leslie Cheung · 1985
The Phantom Lover
as Song Danping · 1995
Ninth Happiness
as Ma Lun Cheung / Tok Choi · 1998
梅艷芳特輯之夢裡風情
· 1988
On Trial
as Wing · 1981
A Time to Remember
as Jin · 1998
Last Song in Paris
as Louie · 1986
Long and Winding Road
as Lam Chiu-Wing · 1994
Encore
as Gigo · 1980
First Time
· 1983
Erotic Dream of the Red Chamber
as Jia Baoyu · 1978
TME Live「想你 張國榮」線上音樂會
as self · 2021
Arrest the Restless
as Teddy · 1992
Teenage Dreamers
as Jackson Chen · 1982
The Kid
as Wing / Daniel · 1999
張國榮跨越97演唱會
· 1997
Over the Rainbow, Under the Skirt
as Himself · 1994
Energetic-21
as Ben Leung Man Bun · 1982
Sunset in Paris
as Leslie · 1989
Left Right Love Destiny
as 阿Sam · 1999
Dog Bites Dog Bone
· 1978
張國榮’88演唱會
as 自己 · 1988
Double Decker
as Eddie · 1984
Leslie Cheung: Final Encounter of the Legend
as 自己 · 1989
Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing Passion Tour 2000
· 2000
熱 : 情演唱會演唱會 Karaoke
· 2001
Teenagers
· 1978
Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing World Tour Bangkok 1983
· 1983
屋檐下：死结
Heritage: The Young Concubine
· 1980
張國榮86濃情演唱會
· 1986
Leslie Cheung: Surprise
· 1985
岛的故事之大屿山沙之城
· 1981