Leslie Cheung: Larger Than Life
Heartthrob, pop star, and Hong Kong actor, Leslie Cheung is one of Asia’s most respected performers and intriguing personalities. Dubbed, "The Elvis of Hong Kong" by Canadian critic, John Charles, Leslie’s fame remains as phenomenal today. Leslie entered the entertainment business after winning first runner-up in the 1976 ATV Asian Music Contest performing "American Pie." Since then, it was evident that Leslie didn't rise because of his fame and money, but because entertainment was an outlet for Leslie to express himself - his love, his confusion, his anger, his soul, his desires. In every movie role he played, Leslie assumed the life of another person. On April 1, 2003, Leslie took his own life by plunging from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong, leaving fans in aghast with questions left unanswered.

In 1981, Leslie became a bona fide star with the success of his album, "The Wind Continues To Blow", which established him as Asia’s most popular singer. However, it was not until the song "Monica" that led Leslie to become a mega-star, bringing Hong Kong pop entertainment to a new level by daring to be different. While others donned tuxedos and sung love ballads, Leslie danced on stage and set a trend. Richard Corliss of Time Magazine said Leslie wooed "staid Cantonese audiences until they were dancing en masse in front of the stage, becoming votaries to the pop god." (2003). Leslie's movie career gained momentum in 1986 after being casted as a rookie cop opposite Chow Yun Fat in John Woo’s "A Better Tomorrow" and as a playboy lead in Stanley Kwan’s romantic ghost story, "Rouge". These films established Leslie as a romantic leading man as well as an action star. Leslie is also notable for being one of the few Asian stars to play openly homosexual characters, a choice that gained particular resonance from the public eye when he came out after playing one of his most famous gay roles in "Happy Together" with Tony Leung. His role as a conflicted homosexual opera star in "Farewell My Concubine" also earned him international acclaim. In 1989, at the peak of his career, Leslie announced his retirement from the music world. In 1997, Leslie made a spectacular comeback with a grand world tour. He made his last major music appearance with the year-long 2000 Passion Tour.

Leslie has showed the Chinese entertainment world the true meaning of self expression, a cultural taboo for Asians. During his tour, Leslie wore eight Jean-Paul Gaultier outfits, each more outrageous than the previous, from a white tux with angel wings to a naughty skirt and a long wig, with complete disregard of the controversy stirring concerning his sexuality. In 1997, Leslie publicly announced his 12-year secret relationship to Daffy Tong Hok-Tak, his financial manager, making him one of the first stars to come out openly about his homosexuality.

Leslie matured in his acting ability and the use of his smoldering charisma, but never seemed to age. Affectionately known as Gor Gor (or elder brother), Leslie’s unique persona continues to earn the respect from his long time fans and reach out to those still unfamiliar with Leslie’s remarkable charm and captivating screen presence. Leslie was also one of the first Asians to bring the idea of performance, entertainment, and glamour to the next level. With his energy powered singing and dancing, Leslie commanded the stage, captured his fans, and raised the bar for all Asian stars to follow. Leslie never stopped pushing his own limit. On stage, he was full of sexual energy. In front of the camera, Leslie carried such a luscious aura that some can only compare him to a heavenly angel.

While Leslie pioneered new ideas and set creative trends, no one in the entertainment industry ever took him as seriously as he wanted it to be. Leslie tried his hand at film directing to mediocre reviews. He dared to put on a controversial, homosexual concert in 2000's Passion Tour, which was harshly criticized by the media and was reportedly one of the major blows Leslie took that gave him depression. In his early days, fans booed Leslie off stage. During the 1980s Cantopop fan wars, fans of Alan Tam harrassed Leslie until he wanted to quit. But he never did. Larger than life, Leslie Cheung's wind continues to blow. If a suicide can be romantic, Leslie's final farewell crushes every fan's heart. Falling from the Mandarin Oriental, Leslie fell, with convinction and heart, into a garden of roses and petals.

Career Highlights
• 90 albums released (1977-2003)
• Acted in over 60 domestic films First artist ever to hold over 100 shows in the HK Coliseum
• 2001: Passion Tour Grand Finale with 10 shows held at HK Coliseum
• 1993: Actor Award by Japanese film critic society in Farewell My Concubine
• 1991: Best Actor of HK golden film Award for his role in Days Of Being Wild
• 1989: Leslie announced retirement in his singing career and held 33 consecutive shows at the HK Coliseum
• 1987: Best selling album of the year, Summer Romance
• 1984: The song Monica becomes a smash hit
• 1977: Runner-up in the “Asian Singing Contest” with the song American Pie

Where is he now?
When Leslie’s death from an apparent suicide was announced on April 1st 2003, the international film community suffered a devastating blow and legions of fans had a difficult time grasping how an actor of such talent could end his life with one fateful leap while still in the prime of his career. Following the news of Leslie’s untimely death, fans began mourning the loss of the cinematic icon while simultaneously taking note of the tragic irony of his own fate in parallel to that of his troubled character in Inner Senses, which was Leslie’s final film.
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