Tony Leung, in the Mood for Kung Fu

Like many boys growing up in Hong Kong, Tony Leung was a fan of Bruce Lee from a young age.But it wasn't until he played the kung fu master's teacher that he understood the man—or kung fu, for that matter.In "The Grandmaster," opening in New York on Friday, Mr. Leung plays Ip Man, the martial-arts master who taught a core group of disciples, including Lee. Ip Man, who was raised in Southern China but later moved to Hong Kong, isn't as well-known as Lee stateside, but he too has been immortalized in film, most notably by Donnie Yen in 2008's "Ip Man."

To create an original interpretation, Mr. Leung took a tip from "Grandmaster" director and longtime collaborator Wong Kar-wai (this is their seventh film together): Blend the master teacher with the master student.

"When you look at the books of Bruce Lee or his letters and interviews, a lot of his inspiration came from Ip Man," Mr. Wong said. "I think it's a very good approach to show the audience where the inspiration came from. Who made Bruce Lee who he was?"

As a result, Mr. Leung studied not only Ip Man's martial-arts technique—suffering a broken arm twice during training—he also read Lee's extensive writings. "It helped me not to just have the look of a grandmaster, but have the state of mind and the soul of the grandmaster," he said.

Though no stranger to demanding roles (he played a cuckolded man drawn toward a neighbor in "In the Mood for Love," then a political agent entangled with a spy in Ang Lee's NC-17-rated "Lust, Caution"), Mr. Leung had plenty of time to prepare for "Grandmaster." He began kung fu training over a year before production, and shooting stretched out over three years.

He spoke with the Journal about staying in character over that period, nonviolent action scenes and how a sickly-looking Mr. Wong helped him press on. Excerpts from the conversation:

Simon Cowell He'll Pay Dearly For Love Child

 

The friend Simon Cowell betrayed wants out of his marriage STAT ... because he thinks his wife is a starf**ker who doesn't need any money from him because she'll get a ton of cash from Simon ... sources close to the couple tell TMZ.

Our sources say Andrew Silverman is gunning for primary custody of their 7-year-old son because Lauren is deficient as a parent ... often disappearing for long periods of time to hang with celebs.  We're told Andrew found out of her affair with Simon this Spring, and was shocked when he saw a pic on TMZ Friday ... showing Simon and Lauren kissing in August, 2012, on a boat HE chartered.

We're told there is a prenup and the money issues in the divorce are "minor."  The real issue is custody.  As one source said, aside from the fact that Andrew doesn't think Lauren is a very good parent, there's an element of revenge for being utterly humiliated.

We're told all 3 people in the relationship want the divorce to happen ASAP.  Simon feels it's a disaster for his TV show and public image.  As for Lauren and Andrew, they both agree on one thing ... Simon pays well.  They both expect Simon will do what he's done with his other girlfriends -- open up the vault.

Behind enemy lines AND THE RULES OF INGGAGEMENT.

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It's 10pm on a Saturday night and the air is filled with chatter, the clink of ice cubes and the heady smell of booze, aftershave and hairspray.

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Rules of the dating world  

All around us people are chilling out on sofas, laughing and unwinding in the outdoor drinks area of a bustling Temple Bar hotel – but at my table the vibe is a little different.

Chrissie Russell observes as Stephen Nolan instructs Hugh O'Neill and Mark Boland.

For a start no one's drinking, and three of the group of five guys are wearing expressions not dissimilar to the soldiers in the boats at the start of Saving Private Ryan.

"It's time to make An Approach," one of them announces authoritatively, "I'm putting one of you into The Set."

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It all feels a bit like preparing for war, but then love is a battlefield and, tonight, I'm behind enemy lines.

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