'Is there any actor uglier than me?'

Making a striking appearance as Thi Lam in the hit horror film "Tet in the Village of Hell ," Meritorious Artist Hanh Thuy took the time to share many interesting details about her journey in participating in this role with VTC News reporters.

- It seems like you've been very successful with roles in horror films lately?

Perhaps so, starting with her role as the madwoman in the movie "Monster's Heart," although she only had 3-4 scenes in that film. But after that came a series of "various kinds of madness" roles in films like "House Not for Sale," "Brilliant Ashes," and currently "Tet in Hell Village."

Maybe it's because there aren't any uglier actors, so I'm perfect for horror roles (laughs). I'll probably take on one or two more roles like that in the future.

- You've previously shared your interest in edgy and horror roles; could you share more about this unusual preference of yours?

Usually, roles like that evoke very strong emotions, not only for the audience but also for the actor like myself. But there are also roles that are too intense, to the point that after filming I feel scared, like in the Lunar New Year movie "Village of Hell" .

Actually, at first I didn't want to play Thi Lam in this film because I felt the story was too brutal and I was scared. But then the director persuaded me and shared more about the character and the idea behind the film, so I accepted.

However, even after accepting the role, I was still scared during filming. Besides the extremely brutal content about playing a deranged woman possessed by a demon, especially the cannibalistic scene, which scared me the most, I was also worried about whether such scenes would be accepted in Vietnamese films. When the film aired, I felt very happy and fortunate to receive such enthusiastic reception from many viewers.

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- Besides the positive reviews, there are also some comments suggesting that the film "Tet in the Village of Hell" was limited in budget, resulting in it not being as spectacular as expected, or that some aspects left viewers feeling unsatisfied. Could you share more about this?

I'm not sure what everyone else's expectations were for the film, but as an actor directly involved on set, I found everyone to be very well organized. The film crew was larger than the current population of the village; everyone practically created a new village here to film. Initially, there was no electricity or Wi-Fi, but everything was gradually improved, becoming better and more complete each day.

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- What was the biggest challenge you faced while participating in the film "Tet in the Village of Hell"?

First, there was probably the biting cold of the weather in Ha Giang – where the film was shot. I had to stick many heat patches directly onto my body to avoid affecting the styling and costumes. But the consequence was that my skin blistered like a burn, and it took one or two months for it to heal.

Then there was the matter of having to wear makeup for bloody scenes and sticky, sugary water, but I was always "struggling" with whether or not to shower because most of my scenes were filmed at night. After filming, it was 2-3 in the morning, the weather was very cold, the water was only 8 degrees Celsius, and hot water for showering wasn't easy to come by... However, I saw that everyone faced difficulties when participating in this film, so I tried my best to overcome them.

Another difficulty was perhaps having to be away from home and my children for a long time due to the long commute between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to the filming location. The transportation to this location was quite far from the city center, so traveling took a lot of time. My entire crew and I lived and worked in the village, completely isolated from the world . In return, the picturesque scenery and peaceful life there made me feel like I had wandered into a fairy tale.

- The film was well-received in return for all the hard work you and your team put in. Do you think that's worth the effort you put in?

The film's impact also helped me regenerate new energy and new emotions. Now, whenever directors think of me for a villainous or bad character role, they probably think, "It's hard to find someone as ugly as Hanh Thuy in Saigon, so I'll just use my abilities to the fullest" (laughs loudly).

But perhaps in a few years, if I keep taking on these kinds of roles, I'll start to feel bored. As an actress, I always want to challenge myself with different types of roles.

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- With so many roles you've played, aren't you worried about being labeled "The Ugly Woman of Vietnamese Cinema"?

Like any other woman, I wouldn't like being called ugly, but if it's a "cinematic trademark," then I don't mind.

Actually, at this stage, I'm feeling completely "disgusted with myself." I rarely upload photos to my personal page because I'm not used to using apps. To find a good picture, I take thousands of photos before I can choose one that's "not too bad" (laughs). However, sometimes I console myself by thinking that perhaps it's because of my appearance that the acting profession has given me truly special roles.

- How do you assess the rise of Vietnamese horror films in the last few years?

I sense that horror films are experiencing a boom lately. Ten years ago it was theater, but now it's starting to be films because of the loosening of censorship.

Horror films are like a new spice in a dish, delighting audiences, especially young people. My eldest daughter tells me every day how much her classmates enjoyed the movie "Tet in the Village of Hell, " and I feel happy for her too.

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