Theater Actor Joey Leung
Joey Leung is one of the best-known theater actors in Hong Kong. His wildly popular act “Queer Show” has run four times in two years, earning him numerous awards as a comedy actor. He talks to June Ng about the insecurity of his profession, and why life can sometimes be easier when lived in the closet.
My acting break came the summer after I finished my A-levels. My mom’s friends needed me to play a 17-year-old in their play. The director said I had talent and suggested that I enroll in the Academy for Performing Arts.
My original dream was to be a biologist and save the world. But my dream died because my grades were not good enough.
Acting is the most insecure job—the dean of my school told us that during orientation. And he’s right.
It’s impossible in acting to judge your own achievements. It’s not like in an office, where you have a job title and promotions. With this, you never know how well you’re doing.
Awards are meaningless because they’ve only been given to you by a select group of people. It doesn’t mean you own the world if you get one, and it doesn’t mean you’re bad if you don’t.
It’s hard to improve yourself. Listen to the opinions of others and allow yourself to be fragile when you’re taking criticism. But be strong and pull yourself together afterwards.
What I’m doing is actually not so far from my dream. Art, at the end of the day, is about love. And love is what makes the world a better place.
