INTERVIEW WITH NEW CINEMA
It is known that Leon is difficult with the press. His principles are he doesn't talk about 1. Family, 2. Love, 3. Money. He would talk about his singing and movies though. The reporter has a chance to interview Leon late one night on his arrival in Shanghai and Leon looked tired. By the end of the interview, the reporter reported that whilst all the questions asked have been answered, Leon did not really answer the questions.
ON FRIENDSHIP
Interviewer: How do you choose friends?
Leon: True friends are those who do not mind each other, who can help each other and could share. It is easier to get along with male friends because most are easy going. But some could be as difficult as female friends. As long as it is not about girls, guys should get along.
Interviewer: Do you have any good friends in the entertainment industry?
Leon: I don’t even know. I don’t have enough time to chit chat with my family. When I have down time, I wish to have some space to myself too.
Interviewer: Which incident gave you the most pressure throughout these years?
Leon: This was a few years ago. Hope you don’t mind listening to my version. A trap was set for me and I was hesitating to go forward or not. So I and my manager went to Beijing and stayed there for 7 days without smoking or drinking, and waited patiently. When we returned, the plan was dropped. I don’t want to elaborate on the matter because it involved exposing others. People these days are hopeless. They like to chase after incidents. But we live in a society with equal opportunity. I did not do anything wrong. I depended on myself to solve the problem.
ON WORTH
Interviewer: Do you know how much you are worth these days?
Leon: Only time could tell. I think we have a long way to go and we don’t know when it would end. But when you can go forward, you should make the best of it and enjoy yourself to the fullest.
Interviewer: What if you are not happy along the way?
Leon : Every matter has different effects. Please forgive me. I would not answer you. Everyone has his ways in his life. How one approaches things depends on himself. I prefer action than talk. I only answer the Leon way. Reporters would like me to talk more but I only know how to answer certain questions in a certain way. I hope I could give you a satisfactory answer and if I don’t, please forgive me.
ON PRECAUTIONS
Interviewer: Actors have a certain age limit. When they get older, they have to think of other work, and you ?
Leon : Jackie Chan is older than me by 12 years and is still making movies. Chow Yun Fat is still making movies, so is Andy Lau and Tony Leung who are 41 years old. Aaron Kwok is 38 and is still acting. Leon is 36 and is still acting too. Do I need to worry so much ? Everyone has the right to live on this earth, and the right to work. I think if everyone gives us time and the chance, you will see what we could offer. It is not very important if in future, I only eat a bowl of rice. I don’t mind it at all. That was how I was raised. Every week I had only two times of pork for dinner, and we had to have rice stamps for buying rice, and oil stamps for buying oil.
Interviewer: Why are you so wary of the press? Is the press in China different from that in Hong Kong?
Leon: The press in China has their own ways. But it affects the Hong Kong press too. Don’t you find it that the HK press always look down on others and raise themselves. And when the HK press does not have anything substantial to report, they would create something out of nothing. The mainland press rarely does this. I’m telling the truth.
Interviewer: When I interview you now, you appear to be a man of strength on the outside.
Leon: I actually feel that I am not hard on the outside but soft from the inside. Obviously, when I sit in a brightly lit room on a big sofa with lots of reporters, I still feel I am on stage and I would not be able to really chat with you.
Interviewer: It is important for a man to return home. And you ?
Leon: Do not talk about the woman behind me. I do not believe in couples living together until old age. Is it possible? I have seen more couples not being able to stay together till old age than those able. My parents have separated for over 20 years. That’s why I do not believe in this type of love.
ON MOVIES
Interviewer: Comrades, Almost a Love Story was a movie that means a lot to you ? (I am not sure if this is how the question is phrased. )
Leon: You don’t have to ask me. It has been proven. Do you still need to ask?
Interviewer: How did you move from a singing career to an acting career ?
Leon: Love and the City was the crucial point. I realized I could act and it was because of something personal. In the past I did not know how to act and was at some point bored, but since then I got the hang of it and I knew I could make it.
Interviewer: Which director do you like more in China?
Leon: I feel that all the Chinese directors are all very different and have their own style. Everyone is worth our while to learn from. It’s like every Chinese is worth our respect. Perhaps you find this too smooth but it is true.
Interviewer: Can you talk about your new movie?
Leon: We used so much time to make the movie and we hope that you would go watch it. But since it is not completed, forgive me for not giving you more details. We used so much time to plan and make the movie, we could not tell you all about it in 2-3 minutes. When the movie is completed, it is up to you all and the audience to decide.
