Tony Leung: Villain With the Sad Eyes

May 16, 2007

His eyes give him away. On the surface he may be smiling but his eyes speak of loneliness and desperation. Like a red light in a misty city, his dreaming face enchants moviegoers. He's Tony Leung Chiu Wai. In hit movies like "Infernal Affairs," "In The Mood For Love," and "Happy Together," he has played a gangster, a playboy, a homosexual and a detective. "I read the scripts thoroughly until I feel like I'm becoming my character," he once said. While he can utterly transform himself into any role, his eyes always remain lonely and uneasy.

So it can be said that his new movie "Confession of Pain" is a description of Tony Leung Chiu Wai himself. He's playing his first villain in 25 years but it's a sympathetic role. In the movie Tony is a cold-blooded detective who tries to cover up the truth about a murder case. Takeshi Kaneshiro stars opposite as a private investigator. Directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, who made "Infernal Affairs," -- the original version of the Academy-award winner "The Departed" -- also directed "Confession of Pain." Hollywood wants to remake this movie, too.

The Chosun Ilbo interviewed Tony at the premiere of the film in the Hong Kong Ritz Carlton Hotel on Sunday. A pink cardigan made his face appear pale. And while he smiled at me and the photographer, in person his eyes looked even sadder than on screen.

"I lived the life of Detective Lau Ching Hei while we were shooting the film. If I were a Korean, I could brainwash myself to feel the experiences of military service. By brainwashing myself, I can change my voice, the way I walk, even the sound of my breathing."

It seems as if he was in love with the role, and indeed, he confessed that after shooting a movie he becomes depressed, like breaking up with a girlfriend. "If it takes a year to build your muscles, then losing your muscles also takes a similar length of time. It takes a lot of time for me to erase the feelings and emotions of the character I played. This time, it was harder than ever." But relief is in sight, he said, with the shooting of John Woo's new Chinese epic, "Red Cliff."

For "Confession," Tony was originally offered the part of the private investigator that Takeshi Kaneshiro ended up playing. "I created the character of the private detective with Tony Leung Chiu Wai in mind, but I couldn't find an actor to play the villain," director Andrew Lau said. "I asked Tony to play him and he rejected it flat out. Two months later he called me and said he would do the part."

For Tony, immersing himself in another role was a very challenging task, but he knew exactly how it should be done. And how did it feel to play a villain? "I enjoyed it," he said briefly. Then he added, "But someday I'd like to play a cheerful role -- like sunshine." He ended the interview with a broad smile.

Credits: englishnews@chosun.com