Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing
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 firs
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.
Born
Sep 12, 1956
Hong Kong, British Crown Colony
Died
Apr 01, 2003
Known For
Acting
Movies
77 acting
32 crew
Popularity
3.0
Known For
Farewell My Concubine
1993
as Cheng Dieyi / Xiao Douzi
Happy Together
1997
as Ho Po-wing
Days of Being Wild
1990
as Yuddy
A Better Tomorrow
1986
as Sung Chi Kit
A Chinese Ghost Story
1987
as Ling Choi-san
Ashes of Time
1994
as Ouyang Feng / Western Venom
Once a Thief
1991
as James / Jim
A Better Tomorrow II
1987
as Sung Chi Kit
A Chinese Ghost Story II
1990
as Ling Choi-san
The Eagle Shooting Heroes
1993
as Huang Yaoshi
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