1994: ‘I feel free and real when I sing’
‘I feel free and real when I sing’
Written by: Guan Libing
Published in: The Straits Times (Singapore) on June 4, 1994
Actor-singer Tony Leung explains why he will not give up crooning for more financially lucrative work
FOR the rest of this year, Hongkong actor Tony Leung Chiu Wai will be concentrating on recording -he thinks it is more creative.
In fact, Leung is so determined to pursue the musical side of his career that he even turned down a $ 600,000 offer to star in a TV commercial for a French wine.
Which is why, after finishing two contemporary movies by the end of this month, he will not accept any filming engagements till “the right script comes along, hopefully at the end of this year”.
This actor, who garnered media attention when he played Wei Xiaobao in the popular TVB serial Duke Of Mountain Deer, is in Singapore to perform at the Helping Hands Music Festival.
Other singers who will be performing at the charity show to be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium today include Hongkong entertainer Hacken Lee and Taiwanese pop idol Nicky Wu.
During a press conference at a Chinese restaurant here, Leung, who was dressed in a white loose-fitting cotton suit which resembled a set of pyjamas, looked a bit dazed, as if he had just got out of bed.
Speaking in Cantonese, he explained: “I’m filming two movies at the same time, and I had just finished the day’s work before boarding the plane to Singapore.
“But when these two productions are completed -which will be in a month’s time, I won’t be acting in another till end of the year. I want to concentrate on recording and, in particular, the Cantopop album I plan to release in the next few months.
“I enjoy singing more than acting, because my own identity and personality can be projected on stage. In acting, I just take on a screen character. I feel free and real when I sing on stage.”
What about his turning down a lucrative offer to star in a wine commercial for TV? Does he regret losing the money?
The 32-year-old actor cum singer who was a home appliances salesman before he joined TVB in 1982, philosophised: “Money is not everything. If you are hungry, a bowl of rice or sharksfin will give you the same satisfaction. I have passed the phase in life where I need to make a lot of money. Now, I’m more interested in recording because it is a challenge. I’m not about to sacrifice it for the sake of making money.”
However, Leung, who has two Mandarin albums -A Little Love Each Day (his debut album released last June) and Bound By Love -harbours no illusions about his credibility as a singer.
“If I’m just out to make money, I would earn more by becoming a businessman or by acting in 20 movies in a year. Though if I was to make 20 movies a year to rake in the cash, I wouldn’t be an artiste but a factory worker,” he said.
Leung, who did not have any singing lessons, says that the quality of his voice is better in Bound By Love, his second album, because by the time he recorded it he had gained some experience singing live.
LEUNG, who joined the art movie league when his films The Days Of Being Wild and The City Of Sorrow won rave reviews, claims he will not wed till he is 35.
He explained: “I’m not ready for marriage, because there are goals in my career which I hope to achieve. I believe that when you are married, you should devote your attention to building the family. Right now, I’m not prepared to do just that.
Leung, whose long-time girlfriend is Hongkong actress Carina Lau, continued: “I like Carina because she is a sincere and simple woman. What keeps us together is the fact that we trust each other.
“For instance, the media in Hongkong has reported that I’m romancing my co-star on my Bound For Love music video, Chou Kar Leng, because of our intimate poses on the tape. I told Carina it wasn’t the case and she accepted my word.”