CineQuiz

Leslie Cheung

張國榮

Leslie Cheung is known for Happy Together (1997), Farewell My Concubine (1993), A Better Tomorrow (1986).

Biography

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 first album, I Like Dreaming. He soon began appearing on television and quickly landed his first film role in Erotic Dreams of the Red Chamber (1978), an erotic production that Cheung himself later described as a “shameful disaster.”

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.

Questions about Leslie Cheung

How many Leslie Cheung films are in the catalogue?

The CineQuiz catalogue has 45 films with Leslie Cheung, from 1982 to 2021.

What is the best rated Leslie Cheung film?

The best rated Leslie Cheung film in the catalogue is Farewell My Concubine (1993), rated 7.9.

What was the first Leslie Cheung film?

The first Leslie Cheung film in the catalogue is A Better Tomorrow, from 1986.

Who has Leslie Cheung worked with the most?

In the catalogue, Leslie Cheung shares the most credits with Tsui Hark (5 films), David Wu (4 films) and Jacky Cheung Hok-Yau (4 films).

People data: TMDb.

Known for

Trivia

Also works as
singer · composer · film director · songwriter · recording artist
Studied at
University of Leeds · Norwich School · Rosaryhill School
Notable works
In the Sentimental Past
Father
Cheung Wut Hoi
Siblings
Ophelia Cheung-Macpherson

Trivia from Wikidata, licensed CC0.

Full filmography

75 films — 45 in the catalogue

People data: TMDb.

Cast