Recently, Zhang Fengyi, the co-actor in "Farewell My Concubine", couldn't help but complain about his actor Leslie Cheung in an interview, saying that he was too motherly, which made him feel a little unbearable. This remark has attracted widespread attention and discussion. In fact, the image of this "Tai Niang" was deliberately created by Leslie Cheung in order to give the role "Cheng Dieyi" a better entry into the play.
The movie "Farewell My Concubine" is unforgettable, both in terms of plot and character performance. In the casting process, Zun Long and Jackie Chan were originally considered to play the roles that Cheng Dieyi and Zhang Fengyi should play. Zunlong was born in opera, and it was only through hardships that he achieved success abroad.
However, despite Zunlong's initiative to reduce his salary, the producers still think that his requirements are too high. In addition, the producer also felt that Zunlong's handsome image did not seem to match Cheng Dieyi's image. As a result, Zunlong missed the role of Cheng Dieyi. In his place was Leslie Cheung.
Leslie Cheung's joining was purely accidental, Chen Kaige once saw Leslie Cheung's Peking Opera appearance, and was amazed by his performance, so he immediately invited him. Leslie Cheung wore a light-colored suit, giving people a gentlemanly look. After he finished reading the script, he immediately felt that he was Cheng Dieyi.
Cheng Dieyi is a drama idiot in the play, so Leslie Cheung not only has to learn his every move, but also his figure. The crew specially invited Peking Opera teacher Zhang Manling to conduct special training for him. When meeting the Peking Opera teacher, Leslie Cheung was very humble and did not have the frame of a big star at all.
In the process of learning, he behaved very seriously, and every movement was full of verve. Zhang Manling couldn't help but praise: "Leslie Cheung is really talented, he was simply born for Peking Opera." In addition to learning Peking Opera, Leslie Cheung also spent a lot of time learning Mandarin.
In order to better enter the play, Leslie Cheung is also as "mother" as the character in the play outside the play. In the play, he has a love for the elder brother played by Zhang Fengyi. Outside the play, Leslie Cheung often stares at Zhang Fengyi ambiguously, which makes the latter feel very troubled.
At the press conference of "Farewell My Concubine", Zhang Fengyi couldn't help but complain: "I really can't stand him, he's too motherly, I feel ashamed to walk with him." Despite this, we can see that this kind of "mother" performance is precisely out of dedication and sincere love for the role.
This has gone beyond simple acting, but the true feelings. So Zhang Fengyi may feel a little scared. Leslie Cheung said that he was Cheng Dieyi, in fact, the two of them do have some similarities.
Leslie Cheung also had a love outside the play that was not understood by the world. The more delicate and gentle a person is, the more likely he is to be troubled by some mental illnesses, and Leslie Cheung is exactly like this. In the end, he couldn't bear it anymore and chose to jump from the building, leaving behind countless fans and friends who liked him.
Looking back at the Hong Kong entertainment industry in the seventies and eighties, we will find that the beauties and handsome guys at that time had their own merits, and every actor had special professional ethics and regarded acting as a career. They always maintain a humble heart and devote themselves to every role. It is precisely because of this dedication that so many classic movies have been handed down to this day.
In the blink of an eye, Leslie Cheung has left us for 20 years. However, thankfully, we still have those classic movies that allow us to meet that gentle brother in the drama and miss him forever.