Tony Leung Ka-fai

Tony Leung Ka-fai (; born 1 February 1958) is a Hong Kong actor who is a five-time winner of the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor.

As he is often confused with actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Tony Leung Ka-fai is known as "Big Tony", while Tony Leung Chiu-wai is known as "Little Tony", nicknames which correspond to the actors' respective age and physical statures.

Career Leung has been in the film industry for more than 30 years, starring in a variety of roles. His debut film was Burning of the Imperial Palace (1983), where he played the Xianfeng Emperor. He would later work with Chow Yun-fat in three films, Prison on Fire (1987), A Better Tomorrow 3 (1989), and God of Gamblers Returns (1994). He also appeared as Joyce Godenzi's husband in She Shoots Straight, Joyce's trademark film.

In 1991, Leung went to France to appear in Jean-Jacques Annaud's The Lover, based on Marguerite Duras's novel, as the older lover of a young teen schoolgirl, who was played by British actress Jane March.

Leung was originally asked to portray the title character of The Last Emperor (1987) but declined due to prior commitments. The role later went to John Lone.

Leung went on to star in the international horror feature film Double Vision with American actor David Morse. His ongoing career has seen him star in films such as The Myth (2005), Everlasting Regret (2005) and Election (2005).

Leung won his fourth Best Actor award for his performance in Cold War at the 32nd Hong Kong Film Awards.

Leung most recently won Best Actor award for his villain role in The Shadow’s Edge at the 44th Hong Kong Film Awards.

He also starred in the music video of Mayday's song "Tough" in 2016.

In September 2025, Leung served as a member of the Competition Jury at the 30th Busan International Film Festival.

Personal life Tony Leung Ka-fai has twin daughters, Chloe and Nikkie, both of whom have married and recently given him grandchildren, making him a grandfather to a granddaughter from Chloe and a grandson from Nikkie, with both daughters choosing lives away from the spotlight despite their father's fame.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes/ 1983 The Burning of Imperial Palace Xianfeng Emperor Reign Behind a Curtain Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor Nominated – Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Performer 1984 The Ghost Informer Tang Cherie Hua 1985 Journey of the Doomed 1987 People's Hero Captain Chan Lady in Black Chan Kin-sang City Girl Prison on Fire Lo Ka-yiu / 51910 1988 Gunmen Captain Ting Kwan Pik My Mother's Tea House Joey Cheung 1989 Sentenced to Hang Li Wai Mr. Coconut cameo Cheung Chi-mun 1990 Island of Fire Wei Wang / Andy She Shoots Straight Inspector Huang Tsung-pao Queen's Bench III Farewell China Zhao Nansan Nominated – Hong Kong Film Award for Best ActorGolden Horse Award for Best Leading Actor 1991 Alien Wife Inspector Pink Dragon Ma Yau-yau To Catch a Thief Red and Black Liang Kwo-tung Her Fatal Ways Wu Wei-kuo This Thing Called Love Au revoir mon amour Liang Seng The Raid Masa Blue Lightning Ching Hay King of Chess Wong Yat-sangscreenwriter Nominated – Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor Leung Center Stage Cai Chusheng 1992 New Dragon Gate Inn Chow Wai-on Once Upon a Time a Hero in China Bad Egg Ken Shek 92 Legendary La Rose Noire Keith Lui Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor Chinese Man Misty 1993 Boys Are Easy Simon Tse Sai Ghost Lantern Fai He Ain't Heavy, He's My Father Tommy Chor Fan Flying Dagger Hon Chung The Eagle Shooting Heroes Duan Zhixing Rose Rose I Love You Keith Lui / Johnny The Black Panther Warriors Mang-po Fai Tom, Dick and Hairy Dick Ching Finale in Blood Fortune Teller Lover of the Swindler Michael Chan Chun Lau Ching-man Perfect Exchange Chung Chor-hung All Men Are Brothers: Blood of the Leopard Lin Chong 1994 To Live and Die in Tsimshatsui Milky Fai Always Be the Winners Hui Man Lung I Will Wait for You So Yau-shing James He and She Lai Chi-kai God of Gamblers Returns Siu Fong-fong / "Little Trumpet" It's a Wonderful Life Yum Kow-kwai Ashes of Time Huang Yaoshi Lover's Lover 1995 Dream Lover Lover of the Last Empress Prince Kung Liang Shaolun The Christ of Nanjing Ryuichi Okagawa 1996 Evening Liaison Xu 1997 Destination: 9th Heaven Chiang Shan Island of Greed Chao Chiu-sen Nominated – Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor 1999 Love Will Tear Us Apart Jianproducer Victim Pit 2000 Okinawa Rendez-vous Law Wan-dat Jiang hu: The Triad Zone Jimmy Yam Nominated – Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor 2001 Xu Datong 2002 Double Vision Huang Huo-tu Nominated – Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor Zhou Yu's Train Chen Qing Golden Chicken Professor Chan 2003 Good Times, Bed Times Men Suddenly in Black Ninth uncle Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor The Spy Dad Jones Bon 2004 20 30 40 Zhang Shijie "Jerry" Sex and the Beauties Dick Yan PaPa Loves You Yam Mo-ying Fear of Intimacy Fai Throw Down Lee Kong Master Blackwood Three... Extremes Lee Dumplings Mr. Li Nominated – Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor A-1 Headline Chief Editor Terrence Tsang Tat-si 2005 On the Mountain of Tai Hang He Bingyan William Election Big D Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor Everlasting Regret Mr. Cheng Nominated – Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor 2006 My Name Is Fame Himself 2007 Eye in the Sky Chan Chong-shan It's a Wonderful Life But Sau-kong (Stainless Steel) Lost in Beijing Lin Dong Kwan 2008 A Chinese Fairy Tale Missing Dr. Edward Tong Iron Road Book Man Two-part miniseries 2009 I Corrupt All Cops Chief inspector Lak Chui Bodyguards and Assassins Chen Shaobai CPPCC member 2010 Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame Shatuo Zhong Nominated – Hong Kong Film Award for Best Supporting Actor Energy Behind the Heart Bruce Lee, My Brother Lee Hoi-chuen Nominated – Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor Kiss, His First 2011 I Love Hong Kong Ng Shun Cold Steel The Devil Inside Me Jiang Mu 2012 Cold War Waise M.B. Lee Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor Tai Chi 0 Chen Changxing Tai Chi Hero 2013 Better and Better Chef Zhou Tales from the Dark 1 Ho Ho 2014 Golden Chicken 3 Professor Chan Cameo Beijing Love Story Liu Hui Horseplay Lee Tan, the Nine-Tailed Fox Rise of the Legend Wong Kei-ying Cameo The Taking of Tiger Mountain Hawk Nominated – Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor Who is Undercover Wang Feng 2015 Lost and Love Jiangxi traffic cop Cameo 2016 Lost in White Zhou Peng Cold War 2 Waise Lee League of Gods King Zhou of Shang 2017 Our Time Will Come Zheng Jiabin Nominated – Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor 2018 Asura Asura King, Head of Desire 2019 Midnight Diner Uncle Directorial debut Chasing the Dragon II: Wild Wild Bunch Logan Lung 2021 Once Upon a Time in Hong Kong Crippled Ho All U Need Is Love Yam Yan-kau 2025 Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants Ouyang Feng Sons of the Neon Night Psychologist The Shadow's Edge Fu Lung-sang 2026 Cold War 1994 M.B. Lee V Chan Fai-yin TBA Return of the Lucky Stars