At the “42nd Hong Kong Film Awards” ceremony on the evening of the 14th, Tony Leung, who had already won the Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor five times before, took home the “Best Actor” award for the sixth time with his role in the film “The Golden Finger.” This achievement set a new record in the history of the awards. That night, Carina Lau, dressed in a lobster costume, accepted the award on behalf of her husband, Tony Leung, who was filming in Germany.
Tony Leung, currently filming a new movie in Germany, delivered his acceptance speech via video. He expressed his happiness at receiving the award after a long time at the Hong Kong Film Awards and thanked the many people who supported him, including his wife Carina Lau.
Originally scheduled to present the Best Actor award were the couple from the film “Comrades, Almost a Love Story,” Sean Lau and Anita Yuen, but due to Lau’s illness, Louis Koo stepped in. Carina Lau, who is both Tony Leung’s manager and wife, accepted the award on his behalf. When she received the trophy from Louis Koo and Anita Yuen, she expressed, “I know when Tony Leung wins, many people will say ‘again him,’ but after so many years by his side, I truly feel that Tony Leung is a great actor who puts in tremendous effort. We should be proud to have such a great actor in Hong Kong. Go Hong Kong cinema!”
Tony Leung modestly responded, “I am a good actor but not great,” reiterating his stance twice. At 62 years old, Tony Leung first won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor in 1995 for his role in Wong Kar-wai’s “Chungking Express,” solidifying his position in the Hong Kong film industry.
Following that, Tony Leung won his second to fifth Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor with films like “Happy Together” (1998), “In the Mood for Love” (2001), “Infernal Affairs” (2003), and “2046” (2005). This year, he won his sixth award for “The Golden Finger,” surpassing contenders such as Aaron Kwok from “I Remember” and Andy Lau from “Young and Dangerous: Reloaded,” as well as Mainland Chinese actor Da Peng from “The Eighth Suspect.”
Carina Lau not only accepted the award on behalf of her husband but also presented the awards for “Best New Actor” and “Emerging Director.” She made a striking appearance in a lobster costume, paying tribute to the iconic style from the film “Dance with the Dragon” by dressing similarly to Maggie Cheung’s character in the movie.
During her award presentation, Carina Lau shared a personal story from her 40-year-long career, emphasizing the importance of patience in the acting profession. She received applause from the audience after her inspiring speech.
Renowned Hong Kong director Wong Jing, who has mostly worked on co-produced films in recent years, attended the awards ceremony at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre’s Grand Theatre with mainland Chinese actress Qiu Yining, among others. The following day, he expressed dissatisfaction on social media about Tony Leung winning Best Actor for the sixth time and breaking a new record.
Wong Jing mentioned that despite never being nominated for the Hong Kong Film Award, he has always attended to show support over the years. Regarding this year’s award results, he commented, “‘A Lawyer of the Last Defense’ deserves the Best Film award, and the lead actress Yu Xiangning, supporting actress Leung Wing-ting, and supporting actor David Chiang truly deserved their wins.” He further remarked on Tony Leung’s win, stating, “The Golden Finger is by no means Tony Leung’s best performance; it is a bit exaggerated and falls short compared to ‘Lust, Caution’ and ‘2046.’ If I were him, I would follow the example of Alan Tam and Leslie Cheung and announce not to receive the award anymore, giving the opportunity to the younger generation.”
In fact, after 35 years in the industry, Hong Kong actor Aaron Kwok received his first nomination for Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards for his role as a disabled shelter director in the film “Gloomy Sunday.” In a previous interview, he expressed his surprise at the nomination, humorously stating that while he maintained confidence and a calm mindset before the competition, he still hoped to win. He quipped that he hoped Tony Leung would give way this year.
Tony Leung, with over 40 years of experience in the industry, has received numerous awards. He not only has been awarded the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor five times previously but has also won the Taiwan Golden Horse Award for Best Actor three times, making him the male actor with the most honors with both the Hong Kong Film Award and the Golden Horse Award. He has also starred in three films that won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and has been crowned Best Actor at the Asian Film Awards and Cannes Film Festival.
Wong Jing’s comments on the Hong Kong Film Awards stirred controversy online, with netizens leaving sharp remarks, such as: “Tony Leung no longer needs the Hong Kong Film Award, but the Hong Kong Film Award still needs Tony Leung,” “If I were Wong Jing, I would announce donating all my wealth,” “Awards are not to be given but to be fought for. If one has enough to win an award, there is no need to give way. If one cannot win, it’s due to not having enough qualifications. In fact, if people think he should not win, the award can remain vacant, that’s the real logic. It is not to say that he should not win but give the chance to others,” and “Before moralizing, it’s better to take care of oneself.”
Complete list of winners of the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards:
– Best Film: “A Lawyer of the Last Defense”
– Best Actor: Tony Leung for “The Golden Finger”
– Best Actress: Yu Xiangning for “Gloomy Sunday”
– Best Director: Johnnie To for “The Case”
– Best Original Film Music: Teddy Robin, Dai Wei for “4 Shooters 4 Families”
– Best Original Film Song: “Lyric Soul” for “Lyric L”
– Lifetime Achievement Award: Sammo Hung
– Best Supporting Actor: David Chiang for “Gloomy Sunday”
– Best Editing: Liang Zhanlun, David Richardson for “The Case”
– Best Asian Chinese Film: “Zhao Chu Chu San Hai”
– Best Supporting Actress: Leung Wing-ting for “Gloomy Sunday”
– Best Sound Effects: Nopawat Likitwong for “The Golden Finger”
– Best Action Design: Tang Wei for “Blast Point”
– Best Screenplay: Yu Naihai, Li Chunhui for “The Case”
– Professional Spirit Award: Tang Ping for Film Costume Management
– Best Cinematography: Anthony Pun for “The Golden Finger”
– Best Costume Design: William Chang for “The Golden Finger”
– Best Art Direction: Lam Tsz Kiu for “The Golden Finger”
– Best Visual Effects: Wong Chi Lik, Pun Chi Hang for “The Golden Finger”
– Emerging Director: Zhuo Yiqian for “Diary of Our Younger Days”
– Best New Actor: Xie Yongxin for “Forever Young”