ProfileHow Tony Leung Ka-fai’s Hong Kong Film Awards record caps a wild journey for the actor
Tony Leung Ka-fai’s fifth HKFA best actor win cements his legendary cinema status amid years of resilience, reinvention and cultural impact
Yet for the 68-year-old veteran, his accolades are a by-product of his endurance – he has previously admitted to keeping his statuettes in a cupboard under the staircase at home.
Over a career spanning more than 40 years, Leung has navigated industry blacklists, underworld coercion, shifting political landscapes, tabloid scrutiny and his own missteps – including two drink-driving convictions in the 2000s – to remain Hong Kong cinema’s ultimate survivor.
The accidental actor
Born in Hong Kong in 1958, Leung received his early education in film by osmosis. His mother worked at the now-demolished Roxy Theatre in Causeway Bay, where he would sit under the dress circle, absorbing the sights and sounds of Hollywood blockbusters.