When Tony Leung Ka Fai entered the interview room backstage at the 2026 China Golden Rooster & Hundred Flowers Film Festival on Nov 10, he was tightly holding his Golden Rooster trophy.
The 68-year-old Hong Kong actor, who had just won his first Best Actor award at the 39th China Film Golden Rooster Awards in the Chinese city of Xiamen, showed no intention of putting it down.
Gripping the rooster-shaped statuette, Leung joked that he would not let anyone take it away. He won the award for the portrayal of a complex antagonist Fu Lung Sang in the action crime thriller The Shadow’s Edge.
Leung became the second actor after Tony Leung Chiu Wai to complete a sweep of Best Actor accolades at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards, the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Rooster Awards.
With an acting career spanning more than four decades, Tony Leung Ka Fai recalled that when he first entered the industry, a director had promised to make him a star. But that was not quite what he wanted.
“I said: ‘I don’t want to be a star – I want to be an actor.’ I think ‘star’ is a title that other people give you,” Leung said. “As an actor, you can play many different roles, and that enriches your life. A good actor can deepen their understanding of life through different experiences and roles and bring what they observe in everyday life into their work.”
Many online commenters praised his dedication, saying that even a celebrated actor remained committed to his work.
Leung explained that the image had left out some context.
He had rushed to Xiamen on the last high-speed train after finishing a shoot in another city. His staff had stepped away to buy something at a convenience store, leaving him alone for a moment when the photograph was taken.
Another major winner of the night was Dead To Rights, which took home the Best Feature Film and Best Actress awards. Chinese actress Gao Ye, who won for her portrayal of singer-actress Lin Yuxiu, kissed her trophy when she met the media backstage.
“I’m quite excited, quite dazed – my mind has gone completely blank,” the 38-year-old said.
“I want to thank every audience member who walked into a cinema to watch Dead To Rights. The 137 minutes they spent watching the film contributed to this honour for me.”
She immersed herself in historical materials to prepare for the role and recalled how director Shen Ao helped the cast build a shared understanding of the period.
“Before filming began, the director gave each member of the main creative team a USB drive containing the materials we might need,” Gao said. “We watched them over and over, immersing ourselves in that period of history.”
The Best Director award went to Zheng Dasheng for Hideaway: The Dossiers, a revolutionary-themed film. The Best Screenplay award was presented to the writing team behind Dear You, a tear-jerking story about Chaoshan immigrants’ striving in South-East Asia.
The Best Supporting Actress award went to Lan Xiya for her role as a young deaf woman in Sound Of Silence, a film that explores the lives and rights of the deaf community.
The 27-year-old spoke about the challenges of learning sign language, saying that the hardest part was not simply mastering the gestures but understanding the world of people who cannot hear.
Sound Of Silence also earned its director, Wan Li, the Best Directorial Debut award.
Having been in the film industry for more than a year, Wan said the recognition had given him encouragement and confidence at a time when the industry was facing what many describe as a downturn.
The Best Supporting Actor award went to ethnic Uigur actor Wushouer Sailai for his portrayal of Turdi Ahun in the film Wan Tongshu.
The character is a folk artiste in his 70s, believed at the time to be the only person in Xinjiang autonomous region capable of performing the complete Twelve Muqam, a traditional musical suite.
Wushouer Sailai revealed that he had lost weight to look more like the character. – China Daily/Asia News Network
