Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan: Peaceful life at age 72, retired Colonel loves to travel

Nun Huyen Trang is not her favorite role.

Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan was born in 1951 in Hanoi, the fifth child in a family of eight members, none of whom pursued art. At the age of 16, she studied acting at the Military Arts School, then worked at the General Political Department's Drama Troupe.

In 1986, Thanh Loan was widely loved by audiences for her role as nun Huyen Trang in Saigon Special Forces - a classic work of Vietnamese revolutionary cinema, directed by Long Van.

The image of a female commando soldier wearing a monk's robe with deep, attractive eyes and a strong, courageous personality has left a strong impression on many generations of audiences.

Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan's image as nun Huyen Trang (Photo: Screenshot).

Before becoming famous with Saigon Special Forces , Thanh Loan had appeared in many films such as Song of the Battle, Childhood, Forgotten Project, Three Roses Plan ..., and was often assigned the roles of gentle, kind teachers, liaisons, engineers... Therefore, the role of nun Huyen Trang was a big turning point in the artist's career.

At the time of participating in the film, Thanh Loan was married and working as a director for Security Television. During a business trip to Ho Chi Minh City in 1984, she happened to meet artist Trinh Thai - the main art designer of the film.

Hearing the artist say that he had not found an actress to play the role of nun Huyen Trang even though the film had been shot for a year, she immediately suggested that she read the script. Realizing that the character had an outstanding personality, Thanh Loan decided to ask the agency for permission to make the film.

To complete the role, Thanh Loan had to cut off her long hair because in the past there were no rubber caps to cover her head. Next, she stayed at Duoc Su Pagoda for a week, ate vegetarian food and practiced chanting, beating wooden fish, ringing bells, and begging for alms to look like a monk. On the other hand, she practiced rowing a boat and soaking in the rivers of the South...

Nun Huyen Trang was captured and interrogated by the enemy in "Saigon Special Forces" ( Video : Document).

In a conversation with Dan Tri reporter, Thanh Loan said that the role of female commando soldier Huyen Trang was "the most beautiful high point in her artistic life". Every time she mentioned it, she always felt proud because she had a role that has a timeless vitality.

Until now, after 37 years, many audiences still call Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan as nun Huyen Trang. She confided to Dan Tri reporter: "I feel very lucky to have a role of a lifetime, stepping out into real life. Many audiences even named their children Huyen Trang even though my character was very miserable, endured and faced many disadvantages."

However, for Thanh Loan, nun Huyen Trang is just a beautiful and strange role. Talking about the profession, she likes the role of Co Rieng in Nguoi ve dong coi by author Le Luu, directed by People's Artist Bach Diep. Or the role of engineer Khue in Ban de mo bii ban quen - directed by Nong Ich Dat; the role of Le in Bai ca ra troi by the late People's Artist Tran Dac.

The role of nun Huyen Trang was the last role in Thanh Loan's artistic career. After the success of Saigon Special Forces , she switched to directing documentaries, holding the position of Deputy Director of the Police Film Studio.

Her busy work has left her with no time to appear on screen, partly because she has not found a good enough script and a character that can help her overcome the shadow of nun Huyen Trang.

"It's lucky that children don't follow art"

In her youth, Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan possessed a beauty that captivated many people, with a delicate face, big round eyes, and a straight high nose. Beautiful and pursued by many people, Thanh Loan found her husband - a Doctor of Mathematics who was 10 years older than her through... matchmaking.

The youthful beauty of Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan (Photo: Provided by the character).

At the age of 23, Thanh Loan still did not have a boyfriend, making everyone anxious and urging her. Because at that time she was in the army, she was never allowed to live at home, and was also banned from staying at home on weekends. Therefore, the actress had little time and conditions to get to know and date.

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, she said that during a business trip, she met director Thu Chung. Seeing Thanh Loan as beautiful, honest and simple, the female director introduced her nephew who had just returned from studying abroad in Mathematics and Information Technology. Both were attracted by each other's beauty and talent, and had feelings for each other from the first meeting.

In her reminiscences, Thanh Loan said that her husband was a quiet and gentle person. "When I met a tall, handsome, knowledgeable, and gentle man like him, I immediately fell in love. My husband seemed cold on the outside but was very warm and affectionate on the inside, exactly the type of person I like," she said. The actress said that her husband "won over" her by writing poems and drawing portraits for her.

In 1974, Thanh Loan got married after more than a year of dating. The artist's married life was rumored to be malicious, such as being beaten by a jealous woman, having acid thrown on her, becoming a nun...

In the face of false rumors, Thanh Loan chose to ignore them, because she understood that public figures would find it difficult to avoid them. "There will be many people who love me, but there will also be people who hate me, are jealous and make up stories, that's a very real thing. I consider it normal," she said.

Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan at present (Photo: Toan Vu).

Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan has two children, neither of whom pursues art. But for her, that is fortunate, because being an artist is very hard work. According to Thanh Loan, this profession requires beauty and grace, otherwise you will only play extras your whole life.

"Life in the arts is short, how many people can still perform when they are old? The family is extremely disadvantaged, especially when the children are young," the female artist confided. She said that if she could choose again, she would not do art, even though she was favored by the profession and successful.

Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan's children are all grown up and have families. Her grandchildren study in Australia, so sometimes she and her children come to visit them, combining it with tourism .

At the age of 72, although her hair has turned gray, Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan still has a gentle and elegant beauty. She is now retired, receiving a salary of Colonel, in addition she holds the position of Vice President of the Hanoi Literature and Arts Association, Vice President in charge of the Hanoi Cinema Association. The artist enjoys a peaceful life with her husband and the joys of old age, "without bothering her children and grandchildren".

At this age, Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan said that she has no regrets, only fears that her health will decline. She is a person who likes to travel and go out, so she created the group "Hoa Chan" to occasionally meet and interact with friends and fellow artists.

Source link: https://dantri.com.vn/van-hoa/nsut-thanh-loan-cuoc-song-binh-yen-tuoi-72-dai-ta-ve-huu-thich-ngao-du-20230923145935535.htm