‘If memories could be canned, would they also have expiry dates?’ This was one of the most iconic lines in the timeless film Chungking Express. Now, let’s see what the cast are up to in 2021.

CHUNGKING EXPRESS CAST MEMBERS:

Tony Leung
Brigitte Lin
Takeshi Kaneshiro
Faye Wong

1. TONY LEUNG

One of Asia’s 25 greatest actors of all time, Tony Leung, who played one of the main protagonists Cop 663, had hit it big with his role in the 1994 film. The Chungking Express was written and directed by Wong Kar Wai, with whom Leung became close to. Both formed a great professional connection that Wong decided to cast Leung for many of his hit films – some of these were Happy Together, In the Mood for Love, and The Grandmaster.

As a phenomenal actor, Leung garnered 26 acting accolades in his career, including the Best Actor award from the most coveted Cannes Film Festival. Aside from being an actor and producer, he also creates soundtracks for films, as listed on his IMDb page.

The now 59-year-old Hong Kong actor and singer appeared in Marvel Studio’s first Asian superhero movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, as Xu Wenwu, the leader of the Ten Rings and father of protagonist Shang-Chi. He is also set to appear in Fox Hunt this year and is currently filming Once Upon a Time in Hong Kong and Theory of Ambitions.

2. BRIGITTE LIN

Brigitte Lin, who played the woman in a blonde wig, added thrill to the film with her story as a survivor in the drug underworld. After her stint in Chungking Express, she appeared in two more films before retiring the same year. She decided to focus on creating a family as she got married in 1994 and bore a child in 1996.

Years after announcing her retirement, Lin made a comeback in the industry as a narrator in the 1998 film Bishonen. She stuck to narration roles and appearing as a guest in TV shows after that. The actress’s last screen appearance was in the Chinese reality show Up Idol in 2015 and in 2021, Lin was recently featured in Taiwan’s China Times, where she talked about the importance of leading a healthier lifestyle.

3. TAKESHI KANESHIRO

Half Taiwanese and Japanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro, who played Cop 223, started as an idol before landing a starring role in Chungking Express. In 1995, he was again cast for a Wong Kar Wai film entitled Fallen Angels. From then, he received acting projects left and right while bagging acting award nominations.

In 2001, Kaneshiro became the model and voice for a samurai character in the video game Onimusha: Warlords. He got well known for his work in the franchise that he came back for another installment in 2004. In 2006, he received the Golden Horse Award for Best Original Film Song for his track Crossroad. Kaneshiro’s last acting role was as Lu Jin in the 2017 film This Is Not What I Expected. However, this year, Kaneshiro is ready to be back in the limelight as he was rumored to appear in Sons of the Night.

4. FAYE WONG

Faye Wong, who played as the waitress and Cop 663’s love interest, had been critically acclaimed for her role in the film. She was nominated for three Best Actress awards before winning in the Stockholm Film Festival.

Wong had since retired from the industry and became elusive from the limelight since 2011. However, fans had been kept updated by her friends and daughters as she occasionally appear in their social media accounts. As seen on their posts, Wong enjoys her life away from the public eye and is still looking good as she was 27 years ago.