by Tin
Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing (1956-2003)
As I was watching Happy Together for the thousandth time, it struck me that this month was the eighth anniversary of the untimely death of Leslie Cheung, nicknamed elder brother (pronounced “gor gor” in Cantonese). If Michael Jackson and James Dean had a love child who was Chinese, it would be the prolific singer/actor Leslie. As you may have already known, not only was he “one of the founding fathers of Cantopop,” he was also voted the most favorite actor in Chinese cinema.
Openly bisexual in the later half of his career, Gor Gor did not shy away from queer roles in films. His film roles were as iconic in Hong Kong film history as they were to the Hong Kong psyche since the 80s. His persona embodied both the masculine and the feminine.
Here is a list of my favorite roles of Gor Gor:
Ling Choi Sin–A Chinese Ghost Story (1987)
As the clumsy and handsome scholar, he stole the heart of the gorgeous spirit played by Joey Wang (Yum!). Continue reading
