Tony
Leung Chiu-wai, winner of the Best Actor Award at this year's Cannes,
is coy, modish and mature. In his native China, this handsome star
is famous for his charming eyes. Looking into his eyes while interviewing
the star of In
the Mood for Love, Fanfan Ko was more impressed by his brilliant
smile.


You
fulfilled your dream by winning the Best Actor Award at Cannes, how did
it feel?



In 1997 I was also in competition in Cannes for my performance in Happy
Together. There were plenty of bamboo telegraphs saying that I was
favored to win, and the Committee asked me specifically if I would be
at the awards ceremony that night. All that made me nervous and I fell
into a kind of sure-win fantasy. However, I failed to win. On the way
back to the airport, I said to myself: "I'll be back." Three years later,
I was back, and won.

You
have worked with many famous directors such as Wong Kar-wai, Hou Xiao-xian
and Anh Hung Tran. Who was your favorite to work with?



I appreciate all of them. But I have the best cooperation with Wong Kar-wai,
with whom I have worked for the past 8 years. Eight years is not a short
time. And it was the most difficult to work with Hou Xiao-xian because
of the language; he speaks Mandarin while I speak Cantonese.

You have
played in five of Wong Kar-wai's films, which one has meant the most to
you?



The Days of Being Wild. It was kind of dramatic while shooting
this film, I had something domestic and urgent to handle and could not
spare time for the film as promised, and Wong Kar-wai said that I could
shoot for just one scene. At last when the film came out I was totally
stunned by my own performance -- how could it be like that? -- So fantastic
and wonderful. Wong Kar-war is a genius.

You
were honored as one of the sexiest men in the world by People magazine
and one of the 10 stars of the year by Time. How did this feel?



I don't think of myself as sexy ... Actually I think sexy is something
from the heart, not from appearance. It's an attitude, a temperament.



The Chinese title of the film In the Mood for Love is the "Days
of Being Beautiful," which gives rise to the old song, which part
of your life do you consider your days of being beautiful?

I thought
the phrase was used on girls ... I would like to say my present. I'm mature
and experienced right now, knowing how to cherish every detail in life.

Interview
by Fanfan Ko

Also
interviews with

Wong
Kar-wai

Maggie
Cheung