Although he doesn't have the magnetic voice of Jacky Cheung, brilliant dance moves of Aaron Kwok, or popularity of Andy Lau, Leon Lai, one of Hong Kong's four heavenly kings, still has millions of fans and has left his mark in the Chinese pop music and entertainment industry.
No, it's not his music that draws us in. It's his handsome face, attractive stature and introverted nature.
Leon seems like the last person who would have ended up in the entertainment industry. He is laid back and never aggressive. He also carries a vulnerable quality that leads people to want to protect him. This rare personality helps to build a sense of mystery around him.
The word "cool" will be totally sufficient to describe Leon. In recent years, there has been little news about him, except when he releases a new song or stars in a movie.
In 1990, he made a breakthrough in his showbiz career with his first album, "Leon." The subsequent album "Meet In The Rain" propelled Leon into instant stardom. He released many albums which all achieved record-breaking sales, vaulting him into "heavenly king" status along with Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and Aaron Kwok in 1990s.
Leon Lai was born in Beijing and grew up in Hong Kong. Before he became a singer in Hong Kong, he worked as a salesperson for a cellular phone company. After winning second runner-up in a talent singing contest, he landed a record contract.
His singing career hit a low point at the 1991 Huatong Flood Charity Concert. He was completely out of tune while reaching for the high notes, but he managed to complete the performance on stage.
This event made him the target of critics and the butt of all jokes at the time and later earned him the tag "'out-of-tune heavenly king."
The blow was heavy enough, but it didn't stop him from continuing his singing career. Nothing sought, nothing found. Years later, he finally reaped what he sowed.
In 1998, Leon's Korean song "After Loving You" managed to reach the Top 10 on the Korean pop charts. He became the first Hong Kong singer to achieve this.
Numerous singing awards followed. But in 1999, he announced to the public that he would no longer accept any awards in Hong Kong.
Once again, he demonstrated his cool demeanor.
Leon's music career gradually declined from the late 1990s.
While he still releases new albums from time to time, his record sales are now less than impressive and his position has been overtaken by the newer generation of Cantopop singers.
He has turned his focus on his entertainment career to acting. Leon Lai has starred in numerous popular TV dramas and over 35 films. His acting was finally recognized in the film "Comrades, Almost a Love Story" opposite the fabulous Maggie Cheung, in which he earned nominations for best actor at both the Hong Kong Film and Taiwan Golden Horse Awards.
Other notable film works include "Eighteen Springs," "Heroic Duo" and "Leaving Me, Loving You."
He has also shown his talents behind the camera, directing several of his own music videos throughout the years, mixing contemporary settings with special effects.
The music videos he released were mostly of popular electronic songs. Fans were surprised when Leon performed the thumping-beat dance songs on stage without even moving his legs! He simply couldn't dance at all. It was ironic.
In recent years, his workload has dropped a lot. Taking off his "king" crown, Leon opened his own entertainment company.
In 2005, Leon Lai emerged again, not only launching two albums of his own Back-to-Back, but also playing the protagonist in the film "Seven Swords."
Now, Leon Lai devotes much of his energy to do what he likes to do. His latest project is starring alongside Andy Lau, Maggie Q and Sammo Hung in a period martial arts flick called "Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon."
His performance won't surprise me. I know for certain he will exploit his no-facial-expression acting style again.
Credits: CRIENGLISH.com
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