After more than two years of moving to Thi Nghe Nursing Center, Ho Chi Minh City to live, artist Mac Can shared with reporters that he has adapted to a new life. The quiet space and regular medical care help him have the conditions to rest and enjoy his old age after many decades of attachment to art.
Previously, at the beginning of 2024, Mac Can was one of the freelance artists who actively applied to enter Thi Nghe Nursing Center because he did not want to become a burden for his children and grandchildren as his age increased.
Mac Can said that life here makes him feel more secure. He said that his daughter also visits him from time to time, so even though he lives far from relatives, he still feels warm.
However, at the age of 81, he suffers from bone and joint diseases, has difficulty walking, poor appetite and often suffers from insomnia. Most of the time, he only lives in his private room, watches TV or chats with visitors.
What moves many viewers is that although he no longer has regular artistic activities, Mac Can has never given up his passion for creativity. He still maintains the habit of learning about stories, novels and cherishes the plan to publish another new book. For him, his health may weaken, but he still wants to do art.
Until now, when asked about the habit of writing stories and newspapers, he still hopes to continue writing jokes or collaborating with newspapers as before.
If his health allows, Mac Can is also ready to return to the film set with suitable roles. His love for art has not diminished, although moving now has become much more difficult.
Born in 1945 on a rowing boat, Mac Can had a special life associated with tours across the Mekong Delta with his family working in circus and magic. Later, he made his mark with a unique magic comedy style before becoming a familiar face of theater, television and cinema.
Audiences have loved him through many works such as "Southern Land", "Ha Dong Silk Dress", "Cyclo", "When Men Get Pregnant", "Cải ơi!" or the program "In the House and Outside". Besides his acting career, Mac Can is also highly appreciated in the field of literature with the novel "Dao-throwing plank", a work that won the A prize in the Vietnam Writers' Association's Fiction Competition.
What makes many colleagues respect Mac Can is not only his talent but also his simple lifestyle. He has repeatedly shared that he has never put much emphasis on money, just needing a simple life and continuing to work.
At the age of 81, Mac Can's life no longer has stage lights or continuous tours like before. Instead, there are peaceful days in the nursing home, where the old artist still keeps an optimistic smile, love for literature and the fire for art never goes out.
