Canto-pop and Hong Kong movie fans were shocked and saddened Tuesday at the news that performer Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing had fallen to his death from a Hong Kong hotel in an apparent suicide. News of the Cheung’s April 1 death was carefully phrased to ensure it would not be regarded as a tasteless April Fool’s joke, and quickly spawned a flood of grief from the star’s admirers.
“A chapter of my life closed today with Leslie's passing. I have been listening to his music all day, hopelessly trying to find an answer in his mind blowing voice that would lead me to understand his last decision. Never the less, I, from now on, will always reserve a space in my music world for my beloved Leslie,” wrote one contributor to a Leslie Cheung bulletin board.
“What a sad way to end his young successful life whereas he had the all the fame and money. What a waste,” read another comment on the Usenet alt.asian.movies newsgroup.
Hong Kong radio and television stations interrupted their regular programming to broadcast Cheung’s music, films, and retrospective specials devoted to the popular performer. Web sites devoted to Cheung were quickly flooded with hits. An impromptu shrine of flowers and photos of the cantopop star soon appeared in front of the landmark Mandarin Oriental, where Cheung jumped to his death.
The 46-year-old actor and singer was famed for roles in such films as John Woo’s breakthrough A Better Tomorrow, in which he played Kit, the policeman brother of gangster Ti Lung, and also performed the theme song. Cheung also appeared in Woo’s sequel A Better Tomorrow II and the heist comedy Once a Thief, as well as popular films like The Bride With White Hair and Chinese Ghost Story.
Cheung was also noted for his willingness to portray openly gay characters, a choice that mirrored his private life. Among Cheung’s standout performances were roles in the acclaimed Farewell, My Concubine, in which he played a Peking Opera performer who dresses in female clothing to play women’s roles and falls in love with his leading man. Cheung publicly revealed his homosexuality shortly after appearing as Tony Leung’s lover in Wong Kar-wai’s acclaimed Happy Together; that film’s frank portrayal of a gay couple raised eyebrows among Chinese audiences. In Cheung’s recent concert performances, the star appeared onstage in gowns and wigs.
The Straits Times speculated that the unhappy end of Cheung’s relationship with his longtime companion, known as “Mr. Tong,” may have provoked the actor’s suicide. A note left at the scene contained references to 'affairs of the heart,' according to the paper, and other sources mentioned that the star had recently been exhibiting signs of emotional stress.
Cheung was born in 1956, the youngest of 10 children, to a Hong Kong tailor. He attended Leeds University in Great Britain, returning to Hong Kong to launch a career as a performer. His singing career took off after he took second prize in a 1976 ATV Asian Music Contest; his 1981 hit album The Wind Blows On established him as one of Asia's most popular singers.
Although Cheung began appearing in films as early as 1980, his film career didn’t fully take off until 1986, with his appearance in A Better Tomorrow. His role as an opium-smoking playboy in Stanley Kwan's romantic ghost story Rouge established Cheung as a romantic leading man as well as an action star. Cheung’s willingness to portray openly gay characters set him apart in Hong Kong’s movie scene, and his ability to bring strong sensuality to the screen earned him critical acclaim.
According to Cheung’s Internet Movie Database biography, the actor emigrated to Canada in the early 1990s but soon after returned to Hong Kong, declaring his intention to stay on for the 1997 return to Chinese rule. This gesture contrasted with the choice of other prominent actors and directors to emigrate overseas out of concerns that the Beijing government might restrict their artistic expression. Yet even as he bucked convention by remaining in Hong Kong, Cheung increased his popularity with his flamboyant film and concert performances.
His longstanding popularity earned him the affectionate nickname “Gor Gor,” or “big brother.”
Leslie Cheung left behind a legacy of film and musical performances that attracted legions of fans in Hong Kong and internationally. His versatility as an actor enabled him to play tough-guy action heroes as well as romantic leading men. Cheung’s frankness about his sexuality also enabled him to daringly push the envelope of sexuality both onscreen and in his public life. The star’s death is a tragedy that will be mourned by fans worldwide.