STYLE: How do you define your look? TL: I like simple, comfortable and elegant outfits, but the most important thing is to have something that fits perfectly into the right time, place and person. STYLE: Does the way you dress in your films influence your own style? TL: Well, not exactly. But when I work on each film, I get exposed to different looks, which have given me scope for new ideas. STYLE: Do you tend to dress up, or only when you have to? TL: I think the most important thing about clothes is that they fit into the right scenario. But when I am not working, I like to wear something simple and comfortable. STYLE: Of all the characters you've played, whose style has impressed you the most? TL: I have participated in productions set in different eras in history, so of course these films have been very particular with the styling of the characters. For example, in In the Mood For Love, which was set in the early 1960s, all the clothes I wore to play Chow Mo-wan were copies of originals from that era and his accessories, from his cigarette box to his watch, were all antique. For my clothes in Hero (2002) - set in ancient China at the end of the era of the Warring States - costume designer Emi Wada did a lot of research to get a feeling for that time and an idea of what colour the clothes should be. At the end of the day she ended up dying the fabric herself - that is the kind of persistence that has impressed me, as an actor, to have a better grasp of my characters' personalities. STYLE: What are you working on at the moment? TL: I am working on Confession of Pain by Andrew Lau Wai-keung and Mak Siu-fai - the same directors I worked with in Infernal Affairs (2002). I play a psychologically scarred cop who hopes to take revenge for his dead family. He has a lot of complicated sides to him and is very different to roles I've had in the past. STYLE: Are you taking any time off during the summer? TL: I'm very busy this summer because, while I am working on Confession of Pain, I also have to prepare for Ang Lee's new film, Si jie, which will be a challenge as it is in Mandarin, so I am having to take lessons. STYLE: If you did have time to take a holiday, where would you go ? TL: I'd be very happy to stay at home and have a good rest. STYLE: What is your next project? TL: Starring in Se jie. Stylist Sean K Hair George Wong Make-up Janet Lee Model Julia Ronacher Accessories by Cartier
