Tony Leung is one of my favourite actors and I’d love the opportunity to work with him. (One hope for the future!)
Chunking Express and In the Mood for Love are my favourites. I love the intensity he brings to a character, by what may seem a very restrained and understated acting style.
And his process for ‘Silent Friend’ is also interesting:
“To inhabit a neuroscientist, Leung spent six months reading books on plants and neurobiology and visiting laboratories to observe experiments firsthand. Around the third or fourth month, he said, the scientist’s mindset took hold without him consciously trying. He described thorough preparation as the condition for freedom on set, noting that the more prepared he was, the more shooting felt like play rather than obligation.”
What are your favourite Tony Leung films? What is your process for getting in character?
https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/tony-leung-silent-friend-shangha...
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Thanks for sharing this, Geoff.
What stood out to me most wasn’t just Tony Leung’s dedication, but his comment that thorough preparation creates freedom on set. I think that’s a principle that applies to writing as well. The deeper we understand our characters and their world before we begin, the more naturally they seem to come alive when we’re actually creating the scenes.
I also admire actors who immerse themselves in a profession or subject rather than relying only on imagination. That level of research often translates into performances that feel authentic without drawing attention to the effort behind them.