Comedian Tu Long: Past as a construction worker, at 52 years old he is an idol of young people

(Dan Tri) - "Because of suffering, I know how to appreciate everything. That difficult childhood has shaped me into who I am today - a person who lives with deep affection, attached to his homeland and family", comedian - People's Artist Tu Long shared.

At 8 p.m., the Army Cheo Theatre was still lit up. Amidst the bustling sounds of music and drums, People's Artist Tu Long diligently directed the actors to practice for the play about the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet - the representative work competing at the National Cheo Theatre Festival.

He moved quickly, his voice clear, sometimes strictly cursing each line, emphasizing each movement, sometimes laughing to ease the atmosphere. It was not until 10pm that the practice session stopped. When everyone left, he invited us to his office, poured us a cup of hot tea and smiled gently: "Now we can talk freely!"

The conversation took place in a late but warm atmosphere, amid countless memories and thoughts of the artist who has been attached to the Cheo stage for more than 3 decades. At the age of 52, Tu Long is still as busy and passionate about his profession as ever - he is both a beloved comedian and a dedicated Cheo artist, and interestingly, he has also become an idol of the youth.

People's Artist Tu Long directs actors of the Army Cheo Theater to practice for a play about the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet.

“My gifts are packed in cardboard boxes”

After the show “Anh trai vu ngan cong gai”, he gained more young fans, Gen Z. Do you call Tu Long a “talented” and idol? How did you receive it?

- Vietnamese behavioral culture is a subtle flow, never arbitrarily grouped or named in a general way, "named by bunch".

What I find valuable is that even though I participate in modern programs like Brother   Overcoming thousands of obstacles with the title "talent", young people still clearly perceive my role as an artist.

They rarely call him by his real name or title on the show, but always call him "uncle" or "aunt" - a way of affection and great respect for the artist.

Actually, to me, being called by a name or title is not as important as what the audience remembers about me, that is the core value of a professional.

Artists cannot control or impose public sentiments. Audiences come to them, love them with natural feelings and the most sincere respect. That is the greatest reward.

He stood quietly backstage watching his actors practice.

Many “talents” after the show received countless gifts from fans and enthusiastically shared them on social networks. People’s Artist Tu Long is certainly no exception. Can you tell us about the special gifts that the audience sent you?

- Honestly, I never thought that one day I would receive so many gifts from fans.

Gifts were sent home, to the office, and even boxes were delivered to my workplace. There were so many that I had to put them in a corner of the house, jokingly calling them “treasures”.

Until now, I still feel that I owe a big debt to the audience. Because I have been so busy, there are many gifts that I have not had time to open.

So, if I could say one word, I would like to send both thanks and apology to “child fans, mother fans, father fans, grandfather fans, grandmother fans”, those who have given me so much love.

Sometimes when I see young colleagues like Jun Pham, Duy Khanh, Thanh Duy or Tang Phuc happily showing off their gifts, I feel both amused and… jealous, and extremely guilty.

My gifts were packed in cardboard boxes, from large bulky items to tiny cards, or meticulously wrapped handmade items. There were domestic fans, and many international fans too. They sent me gifts from Japan, Korea, and even from Africa and America.

I understand that fan culture nowadays is to want their idols to read and acknowledge their gifts. Therefore, I always feel guilty for not being able to respond to all of them.

But then again, I consider them as souvenirs that will be with me for life.

Young artists still have a long future ahead of them to keep their fans, but I - who am over 50 and still attached to traditional theater - sometimes fear that after opening all the gifts, I will feel... empty.

So, I chose to peel it off gradually, as if to enjoy that joy longer.

For me, every time I open a gift is like a “small ceremony” of my own, both exciting and happy. Who knows, when I’m 70 years old, I might still have gifts and get to open them from fans while the young ones have long since run out (laughs).

People's Artist Tu Long excitedly shared with Dan Tri reporter about the audience's feelings for him after the program "Anh trai vu ngan cong gai".

So among the gift boxes you have opened, which gift or souvenir touched you and made you remember it forever?

- I was impressed and touched by every gift, because most of them came with a handwritten letter.

There was a letter that I will always remember. She wrote: “Uncle, I have loved you since I was in my mother’s womb. My mother told me that before she married my father, she loved watching you perform.

When I was 3 months pregnant, my mother still watched Meet at the Weekend to laugh and feel happy. Now I am 24 years old, my mother is 50 years old, we still watch you like we used to.

It sounds like a joke, but thinking about it, it's really touching.

They watched me perform before getting married, still watched after getting married, still didn't give up that habit when pregnant, and when the children grew up, they still replayed my shows together.

It makes me truly grateful and touched to have an audience that sticks with me for a lifetime like that.

Many gifts, big and small, from audiences everywhere were sent by the male artist, kept, treasured and cherished.

People's Artist Tu Long - "an artist twice a soldier"

Many people commented that comedian - People's Artist Tu Long has a laugh that is both charming and profound, and touches the emotions of the audience. What is your secret to maintaining that "unique quality"?

- Actually, I don't have any secret. Human qualities are formed from family genes, living environment and the "fate" given by nature.

It is a gift from heaven that cannot be taught or passed on to anyone.

Like Charlie Chaplin or Mr. Bean, artists made the world laugh, but can anyone do it like them?

Charm is natural, inborn. One can learn to act, but one cannot “learn to have charm”.

There are people who have never been to school, but can still write prose, compose poetry, and create things that touch emotions, because they have real experiences and emotions. No school can teach that.

So I have no so-called “secret”. If it could be learned or kept, it would no longer be fate!

Of course, if an artist has that natural talent and is trained in a good environment, learns and accumulates a lot of experience, then their charm will be even sharper. Then, the laughter they bring is not only fun but also makes people think.

There are many talented artists in the world, but few have a true “successor”. Because if you only imitate the technique, it is just a photocopy. As for the charm and soul, no one can teach you, and no one can keep it for you.

At the age of 52, comedian - People's Artist Tu Long is still full of passion and energy. He has become an idol of the youth, Gen Z.

People's Artist Tu Long has many roles: being a soldier, an artist, a teacher and a father. Do you ever find it difficult to balance all of them in one person?

- I often joke that I am "an artist twice a soldier".

One is a soldier in the Vietnam People's Army - still has to know how to salute properly, still sweat on the training ground, still shoot, and train like any other soldier.

Second is a soldier on the artistic front - fighting with creativity and emotion to bring joy, laughter and valuable works to the audience.

In life, it is very difficult to clearly distinguish between a father, an artist, a teacher or an officer.

Because the dominant personality in a person will control all other roles. A person who is strict at work will also be strict when teaching children, when communicating with colleagues and subordinates. That "dominant personality" is like an instinct, it shows itself without needing to be assigned a role.

If you look back, what do you think you are best at - being serious, profound, humorous, or rational?

- Honestly, everyone has strengths and weaknesses, but it's hard to point them out clearly. Because sometimes, what we consider a weakness today, becomes a strength tomorrow.

For example, having a hot temper can be seen as a weakness, but when you control it, it helps you become more decisive. What you have recognized and actively worked on is actually no longer a weakness - because you have overcome it.

I think everyone has their own limits. The problem is whether or not you are conscious enough to recognize and adjust them.

For me, perhaps the most precious thing is to always know where I am - so as not to get lost in illusions, but also not to lose faith in myself.

People's Artist Tu Long can never forget the moment he was awarded the title of People's Artist, and his father was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist...

People's Artist Tu Long was born into an artistic family, but his path to the profession seems not to be as smooth as many people think?

- My parents did not want me to follow in their footsteps. In the past, the elders used to say “this profession is very hard, like squeezing a lemon and throwing away the peel”, because the profession is closely linked to youth, and when the fate is over, it is left behind.

So, my parents wanted me to study construction college so that I could go to work abroad in Iraq or Libya.

My childhood was spent with my grandmother because my parents often went on long tours. During the subsidy period, life was full of ration cards and deprivation.

I still remember the feeling of excitement every time I followed my parents to perform, just hoping to come home with a hot bowl of pho - the smell of that pho is still like a scar in my memory - both simple and profound.

Before coming to the stage, I had experienced many jobs: carpentry, construction worker, sawing wood, even having my leg sawed off and almost severed a tendon, and washing cups at a student cafe. I have a 3/7 carpentry degree, and every day I assemble formwork, work as a bus assistant on the Bac Giang - Hanoi route...

Although it was difficult, those experiences became valuable life assets - something that no school can teach.

Only when I passed the entrance exam to Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema and fell in love with Cheo theater, did I understand: Art does not choose the best person, but chooses people with charm and perseverance.

The years of struggling to make a living, performing for free, being an MC, working at coffee shops... are the years that gave me the life experience, emotions, and unique "quality" that makes me the artist I am today.

People's Artist Tu Long is meticulous and strict at work, but in real life, he is very friendly and a sentimental person.

Thinking back on that time, what do you find most valuable?

- It is suffering. Because of suffering, I know how to appreciate everything. That difficult childhood has shaped me into the person I am today - a person who lives with deep affection and attachment to his homeland and family.

I was born in Trang Liet village, Dong Quang commune, Tu Son town, Ha Bac district, now Dong Nguyen ward, Bac Ninh province - where the first library in the North is located. My village still maintains the old village rules, customs, and etiquettes, and all of that has been deeply ingrained in me.

Now, I feel like I have fulfilled my promise to her: built a nice house, bought a car, took her out, and let her enjoy her old age in a tall, warm house.

I also built a house for my parents in the countryside and maintained the ancestral altar. For me, filial piety is not about material things, but about making an effort to make my parents proud of me.

The moment I was awarded the title of People's Artist, and my father was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist, and we both stepped up to the podium to receive the titles, that was the greatest reward of my life.

How did your father - Meritorious Artist Vu Tu Lam - influence your career, personality and character?

- My father and I have different personalities. My father was born into a very poor family so he is always careful, thrifty, and calculating in everything.

He is patient, patient and always thinks "it's okay to suffer more than others, as long as I don't bother anyone".

Dad was generous with others but stingy with himself - perhaps because he wanted to give the best to others.

I am the opposite, more like my mother: easy-going, sometimes a bit “extravagant”. When I have money, everyone knows it because I often shop and give it away.

My dad sometimes goes all out, but he is casual and simple with himself.

My father and I don’t get along, we rarely confide in each other, our personalities are so different that we are like “teeth and back”, it’s hard to find common ground. It’s not a conflict, it’s just that each of us thinks differently.

In the past, my father lived upstairs and I lived in the kitchen. My father was in the yard and I was in the house. We talked for a few sentences and then... everything was over. I got along better with my mother, so we talked and confided in each other more...

Thanks for sharing!

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giai-tri/danh-hai-tu-long-qua-khu-phu-ho-tuoi-52-la-idol-cua-gioi-tre-20251030065830909.htm