Hong Kong film celebrity Tony Leung Chiu Wai took house the highest appearing honour at the Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild Awards on March 15, cementing his standing because the frontrunner at the upcoming Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA).
Leung, 61, received Best Actor for his position as a flamboyant conman modelled after Carrian Group’s chairman George Tan in crime drama The Goldfinger (2023), which is about within the Eighties and in addition stars Andy Lau, Charlene Choi and Simon Yam.
The annual dinner and awards presentation held by the Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild is considered a precursor for the HKFA, which will likely be held on April 14.
Leung acquired the statuette from Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To on March 15, who mentioned on stage: “I have known Tony Leung for 40 years and knew he was good, but I didn’t know he was so good.”
To, 68, and Leung labored collectively on TVB collection The Duke Of Mount Deer (1984), an adaptation of the novel of the identical identify by late martial arts writer Louis Cha. In the collection, which additionally starred Lau, Leung performed the streetwise anti-hero Wei Xiaobao, whereas Lau performed Emperor Kangxi.
Leung mentioned throughout a media interview he was glad to win the award because it was a type of recognition and encouragement, and was particularly glad to obtain the award from To.
“I remember during the first day of filming of The Duke Of Mount Deer, Sir To felt that my makeup was not dirty enough as I was playing a street urchin,” Leung mentioned. “He let me know that in addition to good acting, an actor needs to be aware of how his character looks.”
Leung has received the Best Actor award at HKFA a file 5 occasions, and this time, he’s up towards Dayo Wong (A Guilty Conscience), Bowie Lam (In Broad Daylight), Lo Chun Yip (Time Still Turns The Pages) and Da Peng (Dust To Dust).
Tony Leung receives the statuette from Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To.
But Leung, who misplaced out on the Best Actor award to Japan’s Koji Yakusho at the Asian Film Awards held in Hong Kong on March 10, mentioned: “I always feel it’s not just about the award. It’s also about the work and passion, as the amount of effort you put in can’t be measured by an award.”
Hong Kong actress Jennifer Yu received Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild Awards on March 15 for her position as an investigative journalist within the social-themed drama In Broad Daylight, the place her character went undercover to show the abuse happening in a nursing house.
Yu, 30, had earlier received Best Actress for the position at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards in January, and was nominated for Best Leading Actress at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards in November 2023.
The Best Picture award by the Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild was given to authorized drama A Guilty Conscience, whereas Best Director went to Soi Cheang for thriller crime thriller Mad Fate. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
