Leslie Cheung remembered in 16 rare black-and-white photos from Post’s archive
We look back at the early career – including talent-show victory that started it all off – of Hong Kong actor and singer who died on April 1, 2003 aged 46
It was 16 years ago, on April 1, 2003, that Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, one of the brightest Hong Kong entertainers died, aged 46. Cheung enjoyed great success as a pop star – starting out as a teen idol in the 1980s – and later also took on film roles. He is considered one of the “founding fathers of Canto-pop” after combining notable careers both as a recording artist and an actor. His hairstylist and friend, Kim Robinson, reminisced: “We met early in the 1970s. He was very shy. I believe it was Nansun [Shi] who introduced us. He was quite reserved and low-key. He was so good looking and always had so many girls after him.”
Cheung is best known internationally for his award-winning performance in Chen Kaige’s 1993 film, Farewell My Concubine, set during the middle of the last century, which focuses on the lives two men performing in a Peking opera troupe and the woman who comes between them.
The actor, who starred alongside Zheng Fengyi and Gong Li, won the 1994 Japan Film Critics Society Award as best actor for his performance.
The film won the prestigious 1993 Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
In later years Cheung suffered from severe depression and he committed suicide by leaping from the 24th floor of Hong Kong’s Mandarin Oriental hotel, in Central.
Today, Cheung is still loved and remembered by hundreds of thousands of his fans around the world.
In the archives of the South China Morning Post we uncovered some rare black-and-white photographs taken of the star during his early days.