Back in February, veteran Hong Kong actor Tony Leung was spotted strolling around Gardens by the Bay like any other regular tourist — which he was at that time.
But last night (21 Dec), Leung was anything but an ordinary visitor.
The 61-year-old returned to Singapore to promote his latest film ‘The Goldfinger’, which also marks his long-awaited onscreen reunion with Andy Lau after the ‘Infernal Affairs’ trilogy two decades ago.
Following a press conference and interviews with local media at Equarius Hotel in the afternoon, Leung walked a 40m-long red carpet at Universal Studios Singapore, where he received an enthusiastic welcome from over a thousand adoring fans.
Image courtesy of Shaw Organisation
MS News also had a chance to chat with the award-winning screen icon, and here’s what we learned.
Leung is certainly no stranger to our sunny shores, having travelled here frequently for work in the 80s.
He continues to visit regularly as he has friends here and feels more relaxed due to the absence of Hong Kong’s notorious paparazzi.
“I can just spend a lot of time basking in the sun and relaxing by the pool,” he said.
Image courtesy of Shaw Organisation
The nature lover is also a huge fan of parks and makes it a point to visit one in every country he’s in if he can.
That explains why he was at Gardens by the Bay earlier this year — and that was actually his second time there, he revealed.
In the past, Leung often went to the old Jurong Bird Park. He found out about its move to Bird Paradise when he asked about it recently.
Unfortunately, it looks like he might not have the time to check it out this time as he heads to Malaysia today (22 Dec) to continue promoting ‘The Goldfinger’.
Guess he’ll have to make another trip here soon.
As one of the most celebrated thespians of our time with a string of cinema classics under his belt, one could say that Leung has somewhat of a golden finger himself when it comes to his projects.
After all, he was the first Chinese actor to bag the prestigious Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
Leung with ‘The Goldfinger’ director Felix Chong and producer Ronald Wong
Image courtesy of Shaw Organisation
It’s a compliment the famously shy and soft-spoken star humbly brushes aside.
“I don’t dare to say whether I have the golden touch, but I always try to give my best in all my work,” he said.
He went on to say that there’s never a guarantee that one’s next performance will be successful, but that just serves as a motivation to do a good job.
The ultra-modest Leung also seemed to be at a loss for words when asked what he thinks is his appeal to audiences.
Image courtesy of Shaw Organisation
One reporter suggested that it was his signature “Electric Eyes”, a term for his intense and magnetic gaze.
“I’m not doing it on purpose!” he exclaimed with a laugh. “Perhaps it’s because I don’t really like to talk a lot, so I show my feelings through my eyes.”
We certainly get to see these “Electric Eyes” at work in ‘The Goldfinger’, in which Leung plays the founder of a multi-billion-dollar company that comes under scrutiny by an anti-corruption investigator played by Lau.
Tony Leung in a still from ‘The Goldfinger’
Image courtesy of Shaw Organisation
Director Felix Chong also marvelled at how Leung could still deliver a fresh performance even after 40 years in showbiz — a testament to the latter’s commitment to give his best for every role.
And he is still taking on new challenges.
After making his Hollywood debut in 2021’s ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’, Leung is set to play a neuroscientist in ‘Silent Friend’, a film by Hungarian director Ildiko Enyedi.
Image courtesy of Shaw Organisation
As for what he hopes to do with Lau on their next collaboration, Leung said that it’d be great if their characters could be on the same side unlike in ‘The Goldfinger’ and ‘Infernal Affairs’.
“I told him [at the Hong Kong premiere] last night that next time, let’s not play enemies and be partners instead,” he said.
And they don’t even need to be the good guys.
“Bad guys can be partners too! We could play gangsters or robbers,” Leung grinned.
Let’s hope we won’t have to wait another 20 years to see that.
‘The Goldfinger’ starring Tony Leung, Andy Lau, Charlene Choi, and Simon Yam opens in Singapore on 30 Dec.
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Featured image courtesy of Shaw Organisation.
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