The journey from negative numbers and deciding to turn sideways to art
What became the motivation for you to pursue an acting career?
- I have been independent since I was a child, and in grades 6-7 I started selling lottery tickets, working enough to help my family. In Saigon, I studied Electronics and Communications and worked at a 5-star hotel for 6 years. When I graduated, I faced a choice: A stable job with a salary of more than ten million VND per month, or an adventurous artistic path. In the end, I chose to pursue my passion. Luckily, the family fully supported me, they just said: "I'm an adult, whatever I decide, my parents will follow me". I'm the youngest child in the family. They have worried me a lot. She originally dreamed of studying tourism, but in the end chose an accountant to be able to help her family, giving me a chance. It was only later that she confided and I was truly grateful for that boundless love.
How do you face economic pressure in your artistic pursuit?
- I often jokingly say that my starting point is not 0 but negative. That is why I always want to take responsibility for the family economy. My first salary was only 1,000 VND for a lottery ticket when I was young. Every day, I sell 40 coins, I save to buy books, gifts or play video games. After that, he earned about 3 million VND/month from making wood. When I went to Ho Chi Minh City to study high school, I worked part-time with a salary of 15,000 VND/hour, then gradually increased to 17,000-18,000 VND. When I arrived at a 5-star hotel, my salary reached 8 million VND and gradually increased to nearly 18 million VND/month.
In 2019, when I first started out, I was lucky to have my first advertising contract, earning more than 20 million VND/month, at that time I thought "there is no problem". But just half a year later, the work suddenly stalled, without any contracts. Feeling so much emptiness and freedom, I began to confused: Have I chosen the right one?.
The only thing that kept me is the belief that I had to go all the way. There have been problems that are both pressure and wounds, but also become motivation for me to stand firm and be good experiences for upcoming roles.
emotional moment when stepping onto the set of Red Rain
As a young actor, how did you get into the role of Binh in the film "Red Rain" through the character selection process?
- It was really difficult because I missed the role selection in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, completely unknown about the project. Only when a friend called the newspaper to say that the role was very suitable, did I rush to find a way to contact the crew even though I was filming in Phu Yen. Thanks to being a mutual friend of director Dang Thai Huyen, I took the opportunity to text her, expressing my desire to participate, even accepting to leave another project. At first, the director refused because he was worried I was busy, but in the end he agreed to let me fly to Hanoi for casting.
I was the last to audition. At first, the director intended to let me audition for Quang, but after watching, she commented: "My eyes have gentleness in evil. When I held the gun, I was both cold and determined. In the end, she chose me to play Binh. Hearing that news, I burst into tears, because this was the role I really wanted.
Luckily, the project gave me nearly a month of concentrated training and 2 more weeks in Hanoi to learn drawing, sculpting, and practicing the use of real weapons. Experiences such as swimming in the river, living in the tunnel, walking in the rain... make me feel like I am truly a soldier on the battlefield, thereby understanding the characters more deeply. I consider this not a sacrifice but a dedication to art.
The moment he stepped onto the large set of Red Rain, what was the first thing he felt?
- As soon as I entered the set, I exclaimed: "Vietnamese cinema is here!" That moment made me both proud and emotional. As a child of the West, once considered a "fception" when dreaming of Oscar, I clearly feel the dream of cinema before my eyes. The magnificent setting, the film set recreated the ancient city of Quang Tri, modern equipment, dedicated crew and the general practice process created the spirit of "brother in house" in each filming scene.
Thank you for the conversation!
