People's Artist Bui Bai Binh once played the role of Uncle Ho in the movie "The Prophet". The film was released in 2015 and is set in the historical context of the years 1947 - 1950, when Uncle Ho "suffressed" in the Viet Bac war zone. For you, what is the weight of the role?
- In the life of any actor, being able to portray the image of Uncle Ho is a boundless happiness but also an extremely great responsibility.
The biggest pressure is that the audience always has a sacred love and very high expectations for the character - when they watch the movie. With other characters, actors may act a little like or unlike, people may ignore it, but with Uncle Ho, the audience will consider very carefully from appearance, way of walking, speech to even demeanor and eyes.
Therefore, I had to study very carefully about his image. I read many historical documents, watched documentaries about Uncle Ho, met experts - listened to them tell about Uncle Ho, to be able to understand the most about that magnificent historical figure.
I also reviewed previous films about Uncle Ho, watched how Mr. Tien Hoi played Uncle Ho in "See You Again in Saigon", watched colleagues transform into Uncle Ho on stage, in movies... to learn more.
Uncle Ho - indeed a very difficult character, a very challenging role for artists when transforming.
Can you recount the journey you invested in, got into the role, and transformed into when playing Uncle Ho in the movie "The Prophet"?
- The film is set in the historical period 1947 - 1950, at that time Uncle Ho in the war zone was very thin, weighing only about 49kg. Meanwhile, when I was preparing to play the role, I weighed nearly 57kg. To lose weight, I almost fasted every day, only maintaining 2-3 cups of coffee each day. When my body is too weak and weak, I eat a little lightly to hold on. In the end, I also lost 6kg to reach 50kg.
Another difficulty is that I have crooked teeth. I can't keep both crooked teeth to play Uncle Ho. After discussing a lot, from meeting with the makeup group to inviting a doctor for advice, I finally decided to remove one and grind the other.
But those are just external efforts. I overcame it because I believed that I had to do it. That is how I want to express my feelings and respect for historical figures.
It is known that he also has difficulty speaking in many languages, because Uncle Ho is very good at foreign languages?
- In the script of the movie "The Prophet", there are scenes where Uncle Ho has to speak Chinese, Russian, and French. Although they are short scenes, the pronunciation must be standard so that later voice acting will match the lip shape and be accurate in style. I had to ask 3 teachers to teach pronunciation for those 3 languages. Every day, I hold a voice recorder and speak, then turn it on to listen again, self-edit until the director says "yes" then stop.
The "Prophet" film crew mentioned an accident on the top of Ba Vi that almost put his life in danger. What really happened at that time?
- That was a "life-threatening" memory when filming on the top of Ba Vi on a gloomy stormy day, with thin fog. The horse I rode was normally very obedient, but that day it suddenly "played tricks". It kept wagging and then suddenly rushed up, deliberately scratching its back against tree roots and bushes to throw me down.
The second time I jumped up, it stood up with its two front legs and then collapsed, throwing me into the gravel like a bowl. At that time, I only had time to maintain one consciousness, which was to raise my head to avoid hitting my head on the rock. The fall was so strong that I fainted, fainting for a while without knowing anything. When I opened my eyes, I saw myself lying on a stretcher in a church on the mountaintop, surrounded by vague faces looking worriedly at me. At that time, I didn't even know where I was.
Everyone in the crew then recounted, they thought I was "going". Because I was thrown hard by the horse, fainted. Luckily, in the film crew, there was a guy who knew about medicine who kept me still to give first aid. When I was carried down the mountain to Hanoi for emergency treatment, I only suffered a scratch of my spine the size of a finger.
Later, thinking back, if the leather saddle hadn't been stretched aside to support me, or if my head had hit the rock, my nervous system might have been damaged. That is the most memorable memory.
What impressed you when you completed the role of Uncle Ho in the movie "The Prophet"?
- For me, appearance or acting technique is just the tip of the iceberg. The most important thing when transforming is to understand Uncle Ho's inner self through each page of documents: What is he worried about for the nation, What did he think during those difficult years, How hard did he have to endure and suffer?... When I can empathize, that spirit will naturally emanate through my eyes. To this day, this is still the most special role, crystallized from many feelings and efforts in my film career.
Currently, both movies and TV series are on the rise. Can you share about your life even though you are at retirement age, but still accepting invitations to act in movies?
- At this age, I no longer seek fame or too famous roles. What I want most is that every time I appear, the audience still recognizes me, still sees the "quality" of Bui Bai Binh in it. For me, every day I can still go to film, still eat group meals is a happy day. I am still willing to accept small, even very small roles, as long as that character has a destiny, has something to delve deeply and create.
Looking back at his journey, from his time at Vietnam Feature Film Studio, to becoming famous in television dramas, and getting many shows when he retired. Which period of time does he find himself most energetic or most memorable?
- Each time has its own pleasure. The time at Vietnam Feature Film Studio was brilliant youth, the boiling revolutionary blood. But the time at the Studio was the foundation, and this retirement period was the time I lived most fully. Now I'm old, I'm not acting for money or title anymore, I'm acting because of my love for the profession. Until my last breath, if I could still stand in front of the camera, I would still act with everything I have.
Some opinions say that the more you experience and deeply understand human life, the better the artist will perform. For you, is this the most "ripe" stage in the acting profession?
- At this age, I act not for fame or money, but for love and deep understanding of life. The longer I live, the more "capital" I have to pour into the character. However, I dare not consider myself at the peak, because art has no stopping point.
I had to learn a lot from my predecessors, and at the same time read all documents from domestic historians to foreign newspapers, including the opposition, to understand how the world views Uncle Ho? From there, I found the most core thing: Uncle Ho was a great person but extremely immersed and close.
Every day I go to the studio, eat troupe meals and live or die with a new character, I feel that I still have to learn. I often tell young people: Never be superficial, you must "squeeze" yourself out to work. The happiness of an old artist is simply that when lying down, the audience still remembers Bui Bai Binh who always gives his all for every frame.
