by Alex Billington
April 24, 2026
Source: YouTube
“Tony Leung graciously allows others to bask in the limelight before masterfully seizing his own moment.” The prestigious Film at Lincoln Center cinema institution in New York City is hosting a glorious career retrospective series focusing on the iconic Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai. Although he has never been nominated for an Oscar (yet!!), he has won plenty of important cinema prizes including Best Actor in Cannes (for In the Mood for Love in 2000), many Hong Kong Film Awards, and a Honorary Golden Lion in Venice. He’s appeared in so many amazing movies across decades – he’s definitely in one of your favorite movies, that’s for sure. FilmLinc is running this special The Grandmaster: Tony Leung screening series in April & May leading up to the opening of his latest film Silent Friend (which was one of my Top 10 of last year). They’re showing many of his all-timer classics such as Hard Boiled, Chungking Express, Flowers of Shanghai, In the Mood for Love, Hero, Infernal Affairs, Lust Caution, Red Cliff, and The Grandmaster of course. For a reminder of just how handsome & charismatic he is, enjoy this new retrospective trailer below.
Thanks to the Film at Lincoln Center for hosting this. Their intro: “The defining face of the Hong Kong New Wave, an international icon of romantic longing and existential searching, Tony Leung Chiu-wai has made restraint his signature. Across five decades of genre-spanning, globally celebrated work, he embodies the radical idea that the most resonant performances are often the most controlled; that minimalism can be magnetic, hypnotically complex, and aching with emotional depth…. Marking his first return to FLC in more than 25 years, this career-spanning retrospective gives audiences a chance to rediscover, on the big screen, why the world continues to fall for Tony Leung time and time again.” The Grandmaster: Tony Leung is a retrospective series taking place at the iconic Film at Lincoln Center venues in New York City on the Upper West Side. It runs from April 29th to May 7th – for more info on all the films and tickets, click over to their official site. The retrospective series features screenings of 13 of Tony Leung’s new films, culminating in the release of his latest: Silent Friend directed by Hungarian filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi (watch the trailer). The Grandmaster: Tony Leung is sponsored by Criterion – where they have many of his best films available.
