Hard Childhood
Artist Bảo Trí, one of the famous comedians of the Southern theater stage, was loved by many audiences in the 90s. He was just awarded the title of Meritorious Artist at the age of U70.
In the program “Artistic Family” with the theme Reunion, the audience was surprised by the tearful story of Bảo Trí's abused childhood, which he shared for the first time.
Born into a well-off family in Saigon, with a doctor and businessman father, Bảo Trí was the 11th child in a family of 12 siblings. His parents divorced when he was young, the first 10 siblings lived with their mother, while Bảo Trí and his youngest sister Hồng Lan lived with their father and stepmother. Because he was too young, Bảo Trí did not know she was his stepmother and thought she was his biological mother.
He recounted that when his father went to work, both he and his sister were beaten mercilessly by their stepmother. Around the age of 10, Bảo Trí's father found the living situation untenable and sent him to live with an acquaintance in Long An to attend school.
In 1978, at the age of 15, he developed a passion for the stage, followed performing troupes everywhere, and closed the chapter of his tearful childhood to begin a challenging artistic career.
His father moved to Cần Thơ for a while before returning to the city, where he lived until 1996 when he suffered a stroke and passed away a few years later.
Career Path
Artist Bảo Trí started with cải lương, but he "fell in love" with comedy and achieved certain successes in over 40 years of his career.
He learned cải lương singing at the age of 16, but after many years without finding the spotlight, he decided to switch his career to comedy and succeeded as he is today.
Later, Bảo Trí roamed various stages and accumulated a lot of experience. From playing villain roles, he transitioned to comedic roles and eventually became a leading comedian. In his youth, Bảo Trí described himself as very impulsive and fearless. In 1990, he joined the booming comedy scene in Ho Chi Minh City, becoming part of the famous Mập - Ốm comedy group. During his peak, he recalled sometimes having 15 shows in one night.
With many years of experience, artist Bảo Trí has also "pocketed" quite a few awards. This fortune began when he joined the Saigon Drama Theater, replacing Tấn Hoàng in the play "Hồn ma báo oán". This role brought him his first gold medal in 2016 at the Hue Drama Festival.
Currently, at the age of U70, artist Bảo Trí is still active in the arts with his wife, Kim Tuyết. The couple still rides their motorbike together to perform at various stages upon invitation.
Bảo Trí has an older brother, Bảo Liêm
Bảo Trí's older brother is artist Bảo Liêm. Currently, Bảo Trí is active in the arts in Vietnam, while his brother continues his artistic career abroad.
In 2015, Bảo Liêm returned to Vietnam to act in the film "Cao thủ ẩn danh". Bảo Liêm once shared: "I accepted the role because of the reasonable pay and my close relationship with the producer. More importantly, it was an opportunity for me to arrange a visit back to my homeland after many years abroad. If there's a chance to meet the home audience again, why refuse?".
Currently, at the age of U70, both brothers have their own places in the hearts of the public. They still keep in touch with each other.
Bảo Trí has also learned many comedic techniques from his brother Bảo Liêm.
