Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, in a 1993 Hong Kong charity variety show in which he had to sing while drinking a lot of beer. He kept saying, I'm full, I feel quite full in the end. Best actors all started from somewhere, and that somewhere is often idolhood — "traffic stardom", as they call it these days — and situations associated with the role that are at times awkward, uncomfortable, disrespectful. Tony was among the first stars I got to know as a child, and matinee idol Tony remains as much my impression of Tony as the Tony who sweeps up international acting awards.
And why shouldn't it be like that? He's the same person.
The Tony in the clip, at age 31, was between the two Tony's, having left the television station that had given him his idol status and already starred in several critically acclaimed roles, but had yet to win his first best actor award (which would happen the following year, with Wong Kar-Wai's ChungKing Express), or fully left his traffic star image behind.
He was in his so-called "transition period", much like Gg and Dd are.
The difference between traffic star Tony and acting god Tony is time and experience; people in the industry who recognise his talents and offer him opportunities, audience members who give him room to grow.
Idols, traffic stars have always had the potential to become great actors. Those who refuse to see the possibility ... they hardly matter, do they? Because Tony is already a living proof of that.
