Thu Ky's refusal to participate in the hit film "Ngoa thang tuong dragon" by director Ly An is a story that has become widely known.
Chinese media once revealed that Thu Ky is the first actress that director Ly An has targeted for the role of Ngoc Kieu Long. But she rejected this film to film a Japanese tea advertisement.
It is reported that the actress did not want to act in "Shuge of the tigers and Dragon" because the filming took a long time and had to practice martial arts hard. Finally, because she could not invite Thu Ky, director Ly An gave Chuong Tu Di a chance through an introduction by Truong Nghe Mau.
Recently, producer Vuong Tinh revealed that the real reason why Thu Ky refused "Ngoa ho tang dragon" was because the film crew paid low salaries, and had many strict requirements such as not being able to work for 1 year and a half, not being able to receive other films, not being allowed to act between films...
Facing the burden of supporting her family, Thu Ky rejected Ly An's works to focus on making money. About a year later, she bought a house for her mother with the salary she earned.
Perhaps missing "The tiger and the Dragon" is one of the regrets in Thu Ky's career, because this work was a great success when it was released in 2000.
The film won 4 Oscars, including Best Foreign Language Film; won 2 Golden Globe Awards and became the Chinese film with the highest international revenue of all time.
However, according to Vuong Tinh, this decision also came from Thu Ky's own difficult circumstances. She comes from a poor family and has been deceived and bullied many times by others.
At the age of 16, when signing a contract with the company of "cinema tycoon" Kha Tuan Hung, Thu Ky suffered unfair terms, forcing her to participate in the 18+ film "Soul and Juggling", filming a nutty scene and many intimate scenes with Kha Tuan Hung.
After that, Thu Ky was "rescued" by producers Van Tuyen and Vuong Tinh, who took her to Hong Kong (China) to work.
Vuong Tinh praised Thu Ky for having a high EQ and being an extraordinary woman.
Although she missed Ly An's work, Thu Ky later had the opportunity to work with director Hau Hieu Hien. He later became a major influence on Thu Ky's career, directing the works "Thien hi main ba" (2001), "The most beautiful moment" (2005), "Nhuong Nghiep's guests" 2015 starring her.
At the recent Lumiere Film Festival, sharing about her growth process and career path, Thu Ky said: "From childhood to adulthood, my path was filled with malicious thoughts, even after entering the entertainment industry.
The way I face it is not to look at the bad, only look at the good. I do not demand things that do not belong to me, but always cherish what I have.
At the age of 49, Thu Ky's career is still developing brilliantly. She marked a new milestone when her first film as a director, Girl, entered the main competition category of the Venice International Film Festival 2025, and helped her win the Best Director award at the Busan International Film Festival 2025.
Currently, Thu Ky is attracting attention for her leading role in the film "Hoi Hon Ky" released on Netflix in early October.
