Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing (張國榮) (b. 1956)

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Biography

Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing was a Hong Kong singer and actor. One of the most influential cultural icons in the Sinophone world, Cheung was known for his debonair demeanor, flamboyant screen characters, and avant-garde, androgynous stage presence. Throughout his 26-year career, he released over 40 music albums and acted in 56 films.

Timeline

The story of Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing (張國榮), told in moments.

1977 Life

Wins a singing contest on Hong Kong television performing an American Bandstand number. The audience is lukewarm. He throws his runner-up trophy into the harbor afterward. Takes years before anyone cares.

Why throw the trophy into the harbor after the singing contest? Did years of indifference make the eventual fame sweeter? Was that lip-synced audition performance the real you?

1986 Event

Stars in A Better Tomorrow alongside Chow Yun-fat. The film reinvents Hong Kong action cinema. Cheung plays a cop conflicted by loyalty to his criminal brother. It grosses over $34 million HKD.

Did A Better Tomorrow change what Hong Kong action cinema could be? Was playing a conflicted cop autobiography? What did $34 million HKD mean in 1986?

1993 Life

Retires from music at a massive farewell concert series. He performs 33 sold-out shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum. Fans weep openly. He means it. He moves to Canada. It doesn't last.

Were 33 sold-out farewell shows enough to say goodbye? Did fans weeping change your mind about leaving? Why didn't Canada last?

2003 Death

Dies after jumping from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong. He was 46. He left a note mentioning depression. The city went silent. Annual vigils continue at the site decades later.

Was the depression something the world could have helped with? Do the annual vigils mean you're still loved? What would you say to someone struggling right now?

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