Le Giang - the comedian who specializes in starring in "hundred-billion-VND" films.

Việt Nam•15/07/2024

Le Giang is currently the actress favored by directors Tran Thanh and Vu Ngoc Dang, receiving scripts and starring in the most films that have grossed hundreds of billions of dong in Vietnamese cinema.

In early July, Meeting Ms. Bau again. - The film in which Le Giang plays Mrs. Le, the owner of a guesthouse who shelters a group of young people in the 1990s, has grossed over 100 billion VND (including the international market). This work has made Le Giang the female actress with the most appearances in films grossing over 100 billion VND to date (five films).

Le Giang's figure at age 52. Photo: Provided by the subject.

Before gaining attention on the big screen, Le Giang was a familiar comedic actress on stage. In 1990, she joined the Thanh Nga Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) troupe and won a gold medal at the Professional Stage Performance Festival with the play... The Swampy River . In the 2000s, she gradually shifted to comedy, winning the Promising Artist award. Gala Comedy 2005. Thanh - the office worker in the movie. Ugly Girl (2008) - also one of the rare roles she made her mark on the small screen.

In 2019, Le Giang participated in Win back my pregnant wife (Directed by Nhat Trung) in a supporting role - the mother of the female lead Nha Linh (Lan Ngoc). The actress brought laughter in some scenes alongside artist Huu Chau. Despite having limited screen time, her name gained more attention when the film unexpectedly became a success during that year's Tet holiday, grossing over 190 billion VND.

The turning point came for the actor when he collaborated with Tran Thanh 2020 with web drama The Godfather . Le Giang plays the wife of the main character, Mr. Thanh (Tran Thanh), who, out of love for her husband and children struggling to make a living, makes a wrong decision. The project became a social media phenomenon, with each episode reaching tens of millions of views and topping the trending list on YouTube.

The film adaptation of the same name – released during the 2021 Lunar New Year – created a sensation, grossing 420 billion VND, becoming the highest-grossing Vietnamese film at the time. Continuing her on-screen partnership with Tran Thanh, Le Giang played the character of the neighbor who falls in love with Mr. Ba Sang. Amidst the tragic story of the lives of poor laborers, the love story between the two characters provided lighthearted humor.

Following the success of The Godfather : Tran Thanh casts the lead actor in the film. Mrs. Nu's house (2023) - his directorial debut. Her character is a strict mother burdened with the financial responsibilities of providing for her family. Having been betrayed herself, she forbids Nhi - her youngest daughter (played by Uyển Ân) - from having romantic relationships. The climax occurs when Nhi becomes pregnant, defies her mother, and leaves home, continuing her past mistakes.

Unlike many of her previous comedic roles, Le Giang surprised audiences with a performance that delved deeper into psychological depth. The actress portrayed the emotions of a mother who realizes she has failed in raising her child, but doesn't know where she went wrong. In many scenes, the actress evoked emotion by expressing the character's loneliness, such as the scene where Mrs. Nu sits alone combing her hair at night.

The project continued to help Tran Thanh set a revenue record with 475 billion VND, while Le Giang won the title. Best Actress at the Green Star Awards. Sisterhood 2 (Vu Ngoc Dang) - the film in which Le Giang played a supporting role - also surpassed 100 billion VND during Tet 2023. The actress had a breakout year in her career.

Le Giang and Trung Dan in a scene from "Sister Sister 2". Video : CGV

Despite achieving much success, Le Giang once faced criticism for her boisterous acting style. In the film "Mrs. Nu's House ," both the director and the actors sparked controversy due to the loud dialogue, such as the scene where Mrs. Nu berates her own child and son-in-law, and scolds customers in her noodle shop. In many other films, Le Giang has also been criticized for repeating her style with overly theatrical acting, lacking restraint in expression, and creating heavy emotions for viewers.

Le Giang admitted that she used to overuse exaggerated acting. Regarding criticism that "every role she plays is noisy," she said she learned from experience and now chooses more diverse scripts, prioritizing calm characters with minimal dialogue and arguments.

In Reuniting with Le Giang , she plays Mrs. Le, a kind and compassionate landlady who treats the young people in the boarding house like her own children. Director Nhat Trung said that in many scenes, Le Giang moved him with her genuine acting, such as the scene where Mrs. Le cares for Huyen (Dieu Nhi) at her bedside. Anh Tu, her co-star in the film, said that even though she only played a supporting role, the artist helped "ignite" the emotions and supported him in completing the psychologically demanding scenes.

At one point, Le Giang even received criticism for her "stiff" expressions after multiple cosmetic surgeries. The actress said that she initially altered her appearance because she wanted to appear before the public with a perfect image. When her face started to show flaws due to excessive surgery, she feared that directors would not invite her to act in films. "I made an effort to use acting techniques, finding ways to naturally embody roles to cover up the flaws, and thanks to that, I gradually became more confident in front of the public," the actress said.

Looking back on her acting career, Le Giang expressed gratitude to many colleagues, including Tran Thanh, who once advised her to return to Vietnam to act after settling in Australia. Through numerous projects, the strictness of the 37-year-old director helped her improve her acting skills. Le Giang has a tendency to "get stuck" on lines, often forgetting her lines while acting, forcing the crew to reshoot scenes from the beginning. Tran Thanh patiently demonstrated and directly guided her to understand how to grasp the characters' emotions. "Thanks to Thanh, my career has had many memorable milestones, even though I'm no longer young," she said.

Le Giang received an acting award with Tran Thanh earlier this year. Photo: Provided by the subject.

Towards the end of the year, Le Giang will participate in two theatrical films. Getting rich with ghosts (directed by Nhat Trung), starring alongside Hoai Linh, Tuan Tran, and The bride from a wealthy family (Vu Ngoc Dang). Despite many recent box office failures in Vietnam, the artist says she doesn't feel too much pressure from the title "100 billion VND actor." "After 30 years in the profession, I don't demand more fame, I only hope to have good roles and be recognized by the public," Le Giang said.

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