Refer to gay movies to play a lesbian role, put 200% effort into fighting scenes

- Thy's role in "The Last Wish" belongs to the LGBT community, completely different from Dao Anh in "You and Trinh". How did you prepare to play this role?

Bao Thy is a lesbian character with a strong, liberal, stubborn but emotional personality. I realized that I am naturally sensitive, so I focused on highlighting my more liberal and strong features. I play more sports , especially badminton, so that my strong feelings can be expressed naturally.

The most important thing is to learn about lesbians. Before, I only saw female-female couples where one person was a tomboy and the other was feminine. But director Doan Si Nguyen wanted to build the character Bao Thy as a feminine girl, in love with another feminine girl. I researched lesbian couples through Instagram, watched movies with same-sex love to understand and feel.

I also talked and got to know my lesbian friends. From there, I realized that true love is just love, no difference between genders. Since university, I have participated in the Hug, Say Love campaign - supporting the equal happiness rights of LGBTQ+ people.

The big challenge was that I only had 1 month to transition from the role of Thao in Dreams of you to Bao Thy. I had to quickly 'let go' of the old role and focus all my energy on the new character.

- The friendship between Thy, Hoang and Long is the emotional highlight. How did Hoang Ha build chemistry with Avin Lu and Quynh Ly?

At first there was some awkwardness because even though we had worked together on Em and Trinh 4-5 years ago, we had both changed. Every meeting was like the beginning.

We got through this stage through script readings, crew meetings, and acting rehearsals. Each session was an opportunity to get to know each other better through conversations. Knowing we would be working together in the film, our feelings were nurtured early on.

The dinners and karaoke sessions with the director and screenwriter were fun and bonding. When we were on set, we discussed each scene seriously and set high standards.

Regularly discussing and analyzing the script thoroughly made our relationship grow deeper. When talking about the characters, the feeling between us in real life became as close as in the movie. When it came time to film, we didn't have to 'pretend' to be intimate anymore.

Hoang Ha as Thy in the movie "The Last Wish".

- "The Last Wish" uses 18+ elements to convey a humane message. How does this element help highlight Thy's story and the group's journey?

The 18+ element creates excitement and curiosity for the audience. On the journey to fulfill Hoang's wish, Thy and Long face many impossible difficulties. The conflicts and contradictions make the two characters mature and show their true nature. The audience will see that Bao Thy is not only stubborn but also affectionate, sincere, and enthusiastic for her friends.

There are moments when Thy is vulnerable, such as when Hoang's mother says: "Are you guys that deviant now?" Right when Thy's true gender is revealed at school and is very sensitive. She immediately asks: "If I'm deviant like that, will you still love me?" - calling her problem 'deviant' even though it's not necessarily true.

Through that journey, their friendship is very beautiful. The audience also sees the companionship of the family - it turns out that parents love their children very much, just in their own way. Only through challenges can parents and children learn to love more properly.

- Which moment during filming did you find most challenging?

The biggest physical challenge was rehearsing the fight scene with Dai Duong. We only had 2 rehearsals in the tight schedule. This scene required good physical strength and also had a scene where Bao Thy 'flew up', requiring a lot of strength and spirit to portray a Thy fighting fiercely. I will always remember this scene because I had to put 200% of my effort into practicing and performing it.

In real life, she is very "cartoon", not like the muse in the movie.

- What moment did you feel like you really stepped into the light?

I started learning acting in 2015, self-studying and practicing for 4-5 years to cast Em and Trinh in 2019-2020 - my first movie role. At that time, I just focused on doing my job well and didn't think about any title.

The most special moment was when I received the invitation with the words 'To actor Hoang Ha'. I was very impressed and happy because it was the first time I was called by that title. Since then, through each project, people gradually knew me as a movie actor.

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Hoang Ha admits that she has many interesting personalities: humorous, playful, loves to mischief, and is profound.

- Working with Lee Kwang Soo in "Dreams of you", what did you learn?

Before Dreams of you, I worked with many prestigious directors such as Phan Gia Nhat Linh, Tran Huu Tuan, Bui Tien Huy through the projects Em va Trinh, Ke an hon, Chung ta cua 8 nam sau . They are all very talented - this is both lucky and a worthy achievement.

With Dreams of You, half of the crew is Korean, and the leaders of each team are from Korea. Learning Korean helps me understand the director's ideas faster, sometimes without waiting for an interpreter.

Working with an international team, I learned professionalism and meticulous processes, high standards that I previously thought were meticulous turned out to be normal with foreign teams. This helped me become more confident with my own serious requirements.

- How does Hoang Ha balance her busy work and personal life?

Balancing work and life is always difficult. During breaks, I often travel , leaving the city to live in the countryside or by the sea for a few days. The people there are pure and simple, helping me return to my most ordinary nature.

When I don't have time off, I tell myself that this difficult period won't last forever. When I get home, I let go of the pressure and let my mind go blank.

Sometimes there are moments of exhaustion, not too much but quite difficult to overcome. Then I cry - this is a natural healing therapy to relieve pressure, then have a good sleep. The next day, my love for cinema is full again.

- Known for your innocent muse image, what about you surprises people the most when they get to know you?

I have many interesting personalities: funny, playful, very mischievous, deep and enjoy deep conversations with friends. This combination makes it interesting when people actually play with me.

I am also compassionate and loving towards others. If I am not busy, I take good care of others, often doing little things for my loved ones that they have not asked for.

The most different thing from the 'muse' image is that in real life I am very 'cartoon' - my expressions, way of speaking, and reactions are all lively, not at all absent-minded like in MVs or movies.

Hoang Ha in the movie "The Last Wish":

Photo, video : DPCC

Avin Lu reunites with Hoang Ha in 'Em va Trinh', worried about 'sensitive' scenes Actor Avin Lu said he was worried and afraid of the audience's reaction because he acted in a "sensitive" scene in a new movie.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/hoang-ha-tham-khao-cac-cap-dong-tinh-de-dong-lesbian-nho-mai-canh-danh-nhau-2420665.html