Hong Kong actor Tony Leung is the star of 'The Goldfinger'!

Tony Leung is without a doubt one of Hong Kong's best actors, as evidenced by his latest film, 'The Goldfinger' which will be soon out in theaters come December 30. Here's the story of where it all began for the actor, whose career spans not only Hong Kong but also Hollywood and, unexpectedly... K-pop!

Image: Emperor Motion Pictures

Tony Leung Chiu Wai, born on June 27, 1962, in Hong Kong, discovered his passion for acting at a young age when he used acting as a coping mechanism to express himself, according to The New York Times.

When Tony Leung dropped out of school and was looking for work, acting was not his first choice. Tony Leung only decided to pursue acting after meeting now-fellow actor Stephen Chow and being inspired by him to try his hand at it.

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Since graduating from TVB’s acting school in 1982, Sohu reports that Tony Leung was initially cast in a children’s TV program due to his boyish looks. He soon graduated from children’s entertainment to land a role in a more serious drama when he was cast in ‘Soilder of Fortnue’.

Image: TVB

Tony Leung then landed his first major role in ‘The Duke of Mount Deer’ in 1984, and this catapulted him to superstar status. It was then that he joined the ranks of ‘TVB’s Five Tigers’ alongside other A-listers like Andy Lau and Michael Miu.

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Despite his success on television, Tony Leung's breakthrough and major turning point in his career came in 1989 with his role in Hou Hsian Hsien's ‘City of Sadness’.

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According to China.org, it was then that Tony Leung realised that film was more lucrative than TV work and made the switch to working exclusively on film after 1989.

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Tony Leung’s work in film started out as a struggle to establish himself as an actor. QQ reports that he was disrespected for his role in ‘Hard Boiled’ during the Hong Kong Film Awards as he was nominated as a supporting actor while actually having played a lead role alongside Chow Yun-fat.

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The Hong Kong Film Awards snub caused Tony Leung to consider quitting acting altogether because he felt his efforts to have a more prominent presence onscreen were not recognised. However, he changed his mind when he was cast in Wong Kar-wai's 'Days of Being Wild' in 1990, according to Sina!

Image: In-Gear Films

Tony Leung's collaboration with director Wong Kar-wai was undoubtedly the most influential in his career, as he gradually became a recurring star in most of the director's works, and he appeared in classic films such as ‘Chungking Express’, ‘In the Mood for Love’, and ‘Happy Together’.

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Tony Leung then quickly gained international acclaim for his work with Wong Kar-wai, cementing his place as one of Asia's most talented actors. Tony Leung's performances resonated with audiences all over the world as Wong Kar-wai's films gained cult status.

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Despite how Tony Leung is often synomyously known for his works with Wong Kar-wai, the actor has also achieved similar success for his ventures with films that are not from the famous auteur. Some of his other famous works include the ‘Internal Affairs’ series, ‘Lust, Caution’, and ‘The Grandmaster’.

Image: Mei Ah Entertainment

Despite being already well-known outside of the Asian market for his works, Tony Leung only recently hit the Western market with his role in Marvel’s ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ in 2021 by playing main villain Xu Wenwu.

Image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Tony Leung’s talent for acting has since earned him several awards! Since 1987, he has won several Best Actor awards from not only the Hong Kong Film Awards but also the Golden Horse Film Festival and the China Film Awards!

Topping it all off this year is Tony Leung’s new achievement in his career. In September 2023, he earned a lifetime achievement award during the 80th Venice Film Festival. He was given the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

This was a significant milestone for Tony Leung, as not only was this one of the highest awards an actor can get for their contributions to the acting industry, but Tony Leung now holds the title of being the first Chinese actor to have been granted the award.

Did you know that Tony Leung's acting style is largely responsible for his success as an actor? Tony Leung is a method actor, according to the South China Morning Post. He gets so caught up in his roles that it takes him a long time to break free.

Tony Leung has returned to the Hong Kong acting scene after completing Shang-Chi. However, according to Yahoo, the actor made an unexpected appearance in the latest video for 'Cool With You' by K-pop girl group NewJeans – what a crossover!

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Tony Leung will appear in 'The Goldfinger' alongside fellow A-lister and TVB Five Tiger, Andy Lau, in his latest film. 'The Goldfinger' will be released on December 30. Make sure you catch him then!

Image: Emperor Motion Pictures