The colorful artistic career of Leslie Cheung has left us with countless classic masterpieces. The unconventional personality habits and ingenious innovations of this brother have always been the eternal topics of discussion among his fans. Ms. Sally Chan, a well-known agent and witness to Leslie's over 20 years in the entertainment industry, recalls many mysterious ups and downs from Leslie Cheung's artistic life.
**Photograph from "Farewell My Concubine" - Devotedly Creating "Farewell My Concubine"**
Reporter: Among the movies Leslie starred in, which one required the most effort from him?
Ms. Chan: It should be "Farewell My Concubine," directed by Chen Kaige. Leslie put a lot of effort into that film, and it was also his favorite cinematic work. I think at that time, there were some changes in his own personality, as if he wouldn't be distracted by other things but wanted to focus all his energy on making one movie. This movie took quite a long time to shoot; if he had continued in the music industry and stayed in the entertainment world, he definitely wouldn't have had the time or energy to fully dedicate himself to making such a film. I feel that this movie greatly elevated his portrayal of characters and marked a milestone in his artistic journey.
**Unparalleled Youth – Brother Unable to Return to the Music Scene**
Reporter: Many of Leslie's fans are very curious—why did Leslie, who was so determined to leave, decide to return later?
Ms. Chan: As a close friend, I never urged him to make a comeback. However, during the filming process, there were often issues regarding theme songs. During his hiatus, Leslie insisted on not singing the theme songs for the movies he starred in. For example, the theme song for "Farewell My Concubine" was never sung by him, eventually being performed by Sandy Lam instead. Since many of the films he later starred in involved the need for theme songs, and having other singers perform these songs would confuse his fans, Leslie had no choice but to reconsider returning. The truth is, other singers couldn't interpret the movie themes as vividly and authentically as Leslie could, so he decided to open his mouth again. For instance, in the movie "He's a Woman, She's a Man," the character played by Leslie needed to play the piano. If someone else sang the song instead of Leslie, the audience would find it strange. Since Leslie refused to release new albums but still wanted to ensure high-quality production for the films, he decided to only sing within the movie scenes without releasing single records. However, once Leslie sang in the movie, his songs inevitably became popular, a situation that no one could control. At that time, even though Leslie hadn't officially returned, his new songs were everywhere on the streets, and counterfeiters seized this opportunity to make money. In this helpless situation, Leslie's return seemed inevitable. Although Leslie temporarily left the music scene, his old works were still popular, and new film songs quickly became hits. People felt as if Leslie had never left the music scene. Around this time, some Hong Kong performance organizers began to persuade him to make a comeback. Under everyone's advice, Leslie started to consider it. Personally, I felt that Leslie's return was unavoidable because he himself was passionately in love with the stage.
**Each Concert Has Its Own Distinctive Features – Most Fond of the "Passion" Concert**
Reporter: We can see many of Leslie's concerts. Familiar ones include the "Farewell to the Music Scene" concert, the "Red - Beyond 97" concert, and the subsequent "Passion" concert. If we're not mistaken, these concerts were all produced by you, right?
Ms. Chan: That's correct. Starting from 1985, every one of Leslie's concerts was produced by me.
Reporter: Do you still have all the materials from these concerts?
Ms. Chan: I don’t have them, but it depends on what kind of materials. The materials from the performances in '85 and '86 belong to East Asia Records, while those from '88 and '89 belong to CP Records. Both companies I've left, and they no longer exist now. However, these audio-visual materials can be purchased in any record store. The two more recent concerts—one was signed with Rock Records, and the other was a concert that both Leslie and I found very satisfying.
Reporter: Are you referring to the "Passion" concert?
Ms. Chan: Yes, the "Passion" concert. When Leslie’s company was just established, he told me he really liked the concept of the "Passion" concert and wanted to record it himself. So, I gave the distribution rights of the concert to Leslie.
Reporter: How many rounds (or sessions—you must have lost count) of concerts have you produced for Leslie?
Ms. Chan: From 1985 until the "Passion" concert, I've lost count of the exact number of rounds and sessions. After Leslie's return, there were two concerts, but both were worldwide tours. In 1988, I produced the "Farewell" concert, which was also a world tour. However, the concerts from 1985 and 1986 were not world tours, although we did hold concerts in some other cities, but not systematically.
Reporter: Which of the three world tours do you and Leslie feel most satisfied with?
Ms. Chan: Definitely the last one, the final "Passion" concert. Because the "Passion" concert included so many things—a comprehensive review of Leslie's entire film career, along with all his classic works since his debut, showcasing his years of experience on stage. On stage, he was truly carefree and confident, and he had excellent control over the emotions of the audience. He had already discussed with me beforehand how the audience might react at each point, not something he just felt when on stage. Leslie was very proud of this ability to control the audience's emotions.
**Leslie and Anita Mui were once seen as stage couples, performing together in concerts and movies, growing up together**
**Why Wear "High Heels"?**
Reporter: Did you participate in designing the program for each concert?
Ms. Chan: In the past, I participated in many technical designs, including offering opinions on Leslie's image. But for the last two rounds, I didn't participate in his image design because he himself felt that his personal aesthetic ability was already mature. The concerts in 1997 and 2001 completely reflected his own personality—how he liked it and what he wanted to do, I didn't offer any opinions.
Reporter: Many people believe that the focal points of these two concerts were undoubtedly the "high heels" and "long hair" looks. Were these all designed by Leslie himself?
Ms. Chan: Yes. Why did he choose the "high heel" look? Because before the start of the concert, he went to Spain once. In Spain, Leslie learned a type of "tango" dance step, so he came up with the idea of wearing red "high heels" and dancing on stage. He always did something unique in each of his concerts. Not only was there his "high heel" look in 1997, but also his "long hair" look later.
Reporter: Did Leslie like long hair?
Ms. Chan: When doing the "Passion" concert, Leslie felt that long hair had more visual impact on stage, so despite opposition, he chose the long hair look. On stage, he believed he could do anything, as he was an artist. In his films, he also believed he could do anything, just like in "Farewell My Concubine," where he could play any role and played it well.
**Stage Costume Changes Follow Precedents**
Reporter: I think the most adorable thing about Leslie is that no matter what, people can accept him. Almost no one finds Leslie annoying. Perhaps some people may dislike "effeminate" behavior, but everyone seems to recognize and even admire Leslie's aesthetic orientation, genuinely liking him from the heart.