Hong Kong film legend Tony Leung is known for several things: his acting prowess, social anxiety and for being down-to-earth. Now you can add benevolent to the list.
Recently, it was reported that the 61-year-old had donated HK$3 million (S$520K) to the HKPS Bright Future Scholarship under the Hong Kong Paediatric Society.
The scholarship, established last year, seeks to provide support for children and teens from underprivileged backgrounds or with chronic illnesses and special education needs.
Due to limited funding, only 20 out of 170 applicants were awarded the scholarship of HK$10K (S$1.7K) each last year.
In a recent interview, Tony revealed that when he learned about this, he asked the organisation if that meant that “over a hundred people were left disappointed”.
He immediately offered to donate S$520K to support 150 to 200 children this year.
Thanks to Tony’s contribution, the scholarship amount has also been increased to between HK$15K to HK$20K (S$2.6K to S$3.5K) per recipient.
Additionally, the star also donated a painting by late artist Zao Wou-Ki for a charity auction aimed to further support the programme, which has already received more than 1,000 sign-ups as of press time.
During the interview, Tony shared that the children who were awarded the scholarship last year were very positive-thinking and they did not give up on themselves despite their illnesses.
Some recipients even donated part of their scholarship money to their schools, which moved him deeply.
Tony took the opportunity to encourage young people not to be beaten down by failures. Using himself as an example, the six-time Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actor shared that the chances of him winning an award are probably only eight to nine per cent each time.
Though he ‘fails’ 90 per cent of the time, Tony chooses to see those setbacks as life experiences and emphasised that what’s most important is that he’s found his life goal and passion.
Tony’s big heart might be a result of his not-so-pleasant childhood.
Last year, at an awards ceremony, Tony opened up about growing up in a single-parent family.
“In my memory, when I was about six to seven years old, my father suddenly disappeared one day. My younger sister and I were raised by my mum,” he revealed, adding that he really understands how a person’s childhood can affect them when they’re older.
Due to the poor financial conditions at home, he had to start working before he graduated from secondary school.
“I always think I’m an ordinary person, so if I can do it, everyone can too,” he said.