Things have been pretty tumultuous for Hong Kong actor Tony Leung (梁朝伟) lately. Despite being married to artist Carina Lau (劉嘉玲) for 15 years, there had been rumours that he was cheating on her with ex-K-pop group WJSN member Cheng Xiao (程潇, 성소).
Tony Leung has stepped forward to refute the gossip, but in lieu of that, has decided to open up a different Pandora’s box instead. Just recently, the venerated actor publicly shared how growing up without a dad affected him psychologically.
Many would be familiar with Tony Leung’s rigid work ethic and his quirks. While some might simply chalk it up to his oddball personality, Tony himself has a different take on what shaped him into the person he is today, as he shared during the HKPS Bright Future Scholarship Inaugural Presentation Ceremony held on 27th August.
Tony’s speech was meant to encourage the underprivileged students to do their best. However, what he shared came as a surprise to many. He began by saying that he believes everyone has their challenges, be it psychological or physical, and he is the same. “I too am from an underprivileged family,” he shared. “In fact, I grew up in a single-parent household.”
Apparently, the actor’s father had disappeared when he was around 6 or 7, leaving his mother to care for him and his sister. Previously, Tony had witnessed many arguments between his parents, leaving him curled up under his blankets and in tears. “Because (my) family environment was not good, I (started) working before I graduated from middle school to help support the family,” he stated.
Tony had counted himself lucky as he was able to find a job he was interested in within a few years but he claimed he hadn’t neglected his studies. “Besides self-study, I approached each job I had during that period with utmost dedication,” he added. Still, despite managing fairly well in his childhood, Tony attributed much of his character to events from his past and childhood.
He had shared earlier that his childhood experiences made him sensitive to the world, which became an important trait for his job as an actor and entertainer. In fact, he found that he could release his suppressed emotions by acting. “No one will know this is (actually) me, and the audience will think that I am playing a role,” he reportedly shared.
Additionally, he mentioned his social phobia, which has resulted in him buying six seats in a cinema to ensure there’s space between him and others. Tony shared that this has also pushed him to visit Japan often as his trips to Japan reportedly allow him to enjoy a simpler life in a different country. Notably enough, despite his numerous ski trips to Japan, Tony added he has no intention of learning Japanese as he wants to avoid talking to people.
Still, even though Tony Leung acknowledged his personal quirks, he pointed out that he has not let it stop him from doing his best to be successful. As he stated in his speech: “I’ve always felt like an ordinary person. If I can do it, everyone can.”
Watch his full speech here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w11qVqe2YnM&ab_channel=%E5%9C%8B%E9%9A%9B%E5%81%B6%E5%83%8F%E5%8F%B0
Sources: YouTube, Oriental Daily
