HOLLYWOOD - Hong Kong actor Tony Leung has defended his Lust, Caution co-star Tang Wei after the Chinese government blacklisted the actress for her sexually explicit role in the movie.
Wei made her debut in the Ang Lee film, which attracted controversy last year, and China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television recently told local TV stations to stop screening commercials starring Wei, including a skin-care advertisement.
The ruling prompted the local media to link the boycott to Wei's Lust, Caution appearance.
And after collecting the Best Actor Award at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong on Monday, Leung, who played Wei's lover in the film, said, "I think the (Chinese) film authority understands an actor's place. Our work is only to express our roles, and I don't think that an actor should be blacklisted because of this.
"If a film has problems, then the whole (movie) crew should have a responsibility. We are a team and not an individual, and I'm a part of this team."
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