The life of a People's Artist who was once a director, had two wives but no children

People's Artist Quoc Anh was born in 1962 in Vinh Loc, Thanh Hoa. Since childhood, he had a passion for traditional arts, especially Cheo. At the age of 16, he left his hometown for Hanoi to study at the Vietnam College of Arts (now the University of Theatre and Cinema).

The first days of school were also a difficult time for Quoc Anh. With no relatives or money, he had to live frugally, performing for free just to be on stage. There were nights when he was hungry and slept rough at the theater, but Quoc Anh did not give up. His love for art became the motivation for him to persistently pursue his career.

People's Artist Quoc Anh plays the role of "Quack" in a comedy skit.

After graduating, he worked at the Vietnam Cheo Theatre and then transferred to the Hanoi Cheo Theatre. Gradually, he affirmed his position with impressive roles at professional Cheo performances. Quoc Anh is one of the few Cheo artists who have won the most Gold medals since the 1990s. However, it was the role of Ly Lac in the play Rau Quap that really brought his name closer to the general audience.

From the cheo stage to comedy, People's Artist Quoc Anh and artist Xuan Hinh created a famous duo in the Northern comedy scene.

Not only having a talent for folk comedy roles, People's Artist Quoc Anh also left a deep impression through the role of Nguyen Trai in the play Nguyen Trai in Dong Quan - a dramatic role that he spent a lot of time researching and preparing. With his natural acting, the role brought Quoc Anh a Gold Medal and was considered one of the best incarnations of the Vietnamese drama stage at that time.

In 2018, after many years as Deputy Director of the Hanoi Cheo Theatre, he was appointed Acting Director of the theatre to replace People's Artist Thuy Mui who retired. Despite taking on the management position, Quoc Anh still performed diligently.

In August 2022, People's Artist Quoc Anh officially retired, but he still occasionally performed in cultural and artistic programs, both cheo and comedy. There were shows without pay, he still participated, as long as the organizers supported transportation.

People's Artist Quoc Anh is a judge in the "Comedy Love Song" contest.

People's Artist Quoc Anh's private life is quite quiet. He has been through two marriages, both of which have no children.

His first wife was People's Artist Minh Thu, a famous Cheo artist. Their marriage lasted nearly 20 years before ending peacefully. He took responsibility for his mistakes and did not blame anyone. After the divorce, Quoc Anh lived alone, studying to be a director while focusing on his career.

3 years later, he met his second wife - also a woman who had a broken marriage and 2 children. They came together with sharing and sympathy. People's Artist Quoc Anh loved his wife's children as his own, caring for and educating them with all his heart. Even though he had no children, Quoc Anh still found happiness in that small home.

People's Artist Quoc Anh once said that the reason he did not have children was due to complications from a surgery when he was young, which led to the loss of fertility. There was a time when he felt guilty and blamed himself. But later on, Quoc Anh learned to let go and accept. Now, at the age of over 60, he lives a peaceful and calm life.

Living with his wife in an apartment of more than 100 square meters, life is quite comfortable, with savings for medical expenses, but People's Artist Quoc Anh lives very simply. He only likes to eat boiled tofu and green vegetables. Quoc Anh stays away from gossip, does not care about public opinion, and does not seek high material things.

What makes his colleagues and audiences respect him is not only his talent but also his attitude towards his profession. He once said: "I never asked for a salary, even when I was at my peak. If you only care about asking for money, your profession is no longer sacred." That saying sums up the entire career of People's Artist Quoc Anh.

Photo: Golden smile

The regrettable broken marriage of People's Artist Quoc Anh and People's Artist Minh Thu People's Artist Quoc Anh defied obstacles from both families to be with People's Artist Minh Thu - daughter of "king of cheo clowns" Manh Tuan and together they acted in many classic cheo plays.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/cuoc-song-cua-nsnd-tung-la-giam-doc-hai-doi-vo-khong-con-cai-2427428.html