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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was the talk of the town when it was released earlier this month because the legendary actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai became the first Hong Kong actor to ever star in a Marvel film. In the movie, he played the role of Wenwu, Shangchi's father, who has a sketchy past, and his performance playing the character has left everyone impressed. Tony Leung was considered a Hong Kong before starring in the movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He is considered to be the most successful in Asia and has been recognized internationally. Acting is not new to him, and he has even won different acting awards, including one from the Cannes Film Festival, where he won as Best Actor for his performance in Wong Kar-wai's movie In the Mood for Love. His international recognition did not stop there; he was also recognized by CNN and included in the list of Asia's 25 Greatest Actors of All Time.
Tony Leung Chiu-wai was born on June 27, 1962, in Hong Kong to a Taishan family of Guangdong ancestry. During his early childhood, his parents always fought because of money problems. His life changed after his father left them to fend for themselves; that's when his mother stepped in to raise him and his sister. He became a quiet child after this, and he said in his interview that his experiences as a child were why he pursued acting. After their father left, he stopped communicating with anyone and barely talked to people, even with his classmates. He became isolated, and this is the reason why he loved acting so much. Acting gave him an outlet to let his emotions out, and he could openly express his feelings.
Early Life As An Abandoned Child
Leung tried to pursue further studies and went to a private school, however at the age of 15, he was compelled to quit because of their financial problems. Though he is out of school, he does not rebel against his mother; they are very close. When he was doing the film Hero, he stated that the real hero for him was his mother, who did everything in her power to raise him and his sister without the help of anyone.
Creating Opportunities To Start A Career In Acting
After he quit school, he has worked different odd jobs to help with the bills at home. He first became a grocer's runner at his uncle's shop, and then he worked in a Hong Kong shopping center as a showroom salesman. At the age of 16, and as fate would have it, he met actor and comedian Stephen Chow, who then influenced him to pursue a career in acting. With the help of his friend Chow, Leung has passed training courses for the television channel TVB. This is the beginning of his career; he played extras for different shows and soon got promoted to take a lead role in The Duke of Mount Deer in 1984. This soon jumpstarts his career, and because of his boyish look, TVB is fond of him and has cast him in different shows, including a children's program called 430 Space Shuttle. From this forward, he has been busy doing films left and right and has become one of the top actors in Hong Kong.
How He Was Casted As Wenwu 'In Shang-Chi And the Legend of The Ten Rings'
According to the producer of the movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Jonathan Schwartz, the idea to get Tony Leung for the role of Wenwu was from the film director himself, Destin Daniel Cretton. Leung was among his favorite actors; however, he thinks the actor would not do the role. Cretton has pictured the villain to be played by Leung, and he believes that it would fit him perfectly. Cretton thinks Leung is perfect for an ancient Chinese warrior, stylish underworld boss, and high-powered modern man. They got in contact with Leung, and the rest was history. Leung has always wanted to try out his luck to do a Hollywood movie, but he thinks it's farfetched. Leung has dreamed about working with iconic director Martin Scorsese or even starring in a film adapted from a Lawrence Block crime novel. However he did not think for a second that he would be starring in a big-budget American movie, let alone a Marvel movie.