“Everything Is By Chance”: Tony Leung on Silent Friend, Léa Seydoux, and Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
The Film Stage • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Film at Lincoln Center recently held a retrospective of Tony Leung, highlighting his decades-long career and his quiet performance in Ildikó Enyedi’s Silent Friend, which reflects his aged appearance and evolving screen presence.
- Tony Leung discussed his unplanned but fortunate career, emphasizing the importance of trust and genuine connection with co-stars like Maggie Cheung and Leslie Cheung to create authentic performances.
- Despite his extensive work in Hong Kong cinema, Leung expressed interest in working in Japanese films, particularly with directors like Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and revealed plans to collaborate again with Johnnie To on a new project.
- Leung described his approach to acting as exploratory, taking on diverse roles from dark and intense characters to gentler ones like in Silent Friend, and noted the emotional impact some roles have on him even after filming ends.
- Silent Friend marks Leung’s first European production and is set for limited release on May 8, showcasing his continued evolution as an actor open to international collaborations.
