The threat to Lan Ngọc and Kaity's title of "million-dollar beauty"

Vietnamese cinema is witnessing the arrival of a series of new faces venturing into acting, bringing a breath of fresh air instead of focusing solely on established stars like Lan Ngọc or Kaity.

Phuong My Chi delivered a solid performance in Huynh Lap's film "The Ancestral House." Her character, My Tien, undergoes significant psychological transformation and maturation. From a young girl condemned by her family and neighbors, forced to leave home and become independent in the city, to her return and gradual awakening after seeing the ghost of her brother (Huynh Lap), her journey is marked by numerous emotional turning points.

In scenes requiring significant psychological depth, Phuong My Chi's performance was somewhat weak, but overall, the character of My Tien was still positively reviewed, as the singer's natural portrayal showed considerable effort.

Before Phuong My Chi, Miss Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen made an impression with her role as Karen in director Tran Thanh's "The Four Villains". This year's Lunar New Year film season marks the arrival of a series of beauty queens venturing into acting, such as Tran Tieu Vy, Doan Thien An, and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen.

While Doan Thien An and Tran Tieu Vy were praised for their well-rounded performances, Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen scored points for her portrayal of the complex character Karen. The complexity of Karen's psychological development allowed Ky Duyen to showcase her acting abilities, earning her a positive reception from the audience despite it being her first film role.

Phuong My Chi appears in Huynh Lap's film "Ancestral House". Photo: Producer.

Miss Vietnam Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien will soon have a new role in the film "Chot Don". Previously, Thuy Tien's role in "Linh Mieu" was praised for her efforts.

The influx of beauty queens and singers into Vietnamese cinema has made Vietnamese films more diverse and abundant, whereas the "hundred-billion-dollar box office hits" of the past were reserved for a select few actors, primarily focusing on... Ninh Dương Lan Ngọc, Kaity Nguyễn.

A paradox is unfolding: while beauty queens and singers help numerous projects quickly generate hundreds of billions in revenue, Kaity Nguyen, once the "million-dollar beauty" of Vietnamese cinema, is continuously appearing in box office flops and losing money, such as "The Prince of Bac Lieu " (late 2024) and "Falling in Love with My Best Friend" (Lunar New Year 2025).

Images from the film "Girl from the Past" starring Lan Ngoc and Kaity Nguyen. Photo: Producer.

Ninh Dương Lan Ngọc hasn't acted in any films for the past two years. Her most recent film, alongside Kaity Nguyễn, was "The Girl from the Past." This film, which starred two "billion-dollar beauties," grossed over 50 billion VND in 2022.

In 2023, when Phuong Anh Dao rose to prominence with her role as Mai in Tran Thanh's film of the same name, which grossed 550 billion VND, many viewers mentioned Lan Ngoc with regret. Lan Ngoc was once expected to be the "new screen goddess" after her impressive appearance as Nuong in "The Endless Field".

Lan Ngọc participated in many high-grossing projects such as "Gái già lắm chiêu" (The Old Woman with Many Tricks), "Cua lại vợ bầu" (Getting Back My Pregnant Wife)... but in recent years, Lan Ngọc has mainly participated in entertainment game shows, pursued singing, and formed the music group LUNAS.

In this context, many beauty queens are expressing their desire to pursue a long-term, professional career in film. Tran Tieu Vy and Thuy Tien shared that they will study acting further to secure more film projects.

Before filming "The Ancestral House," Huynh Lap initially wanted to cast Kaity Nguyen in the lead role, but ultimately, he invited Phuong My Chi to bring a fresh perspective to Vietnamese cinema.

While a host of aspiring actors are venturing into film with high ambitions, bringing a fresh perspective to audiences, some names who were once considered "screen goddesses" or "million-dollar actresses" may be forgotten if they no longer have a passion for and drive to make breakthroughs in film.

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