I am a 'beauty and billionaire'.

At nearly 50 years old, Thanh Mai remains captivating thanks to her ageless beauty and toned, slender figure. What is her secret?

If in your twenties, the secret to beauty was simply wearing a scarf, a pink shirt, and a touch of lipstick, then at my age, my body needs comprehensive care, from appearance to mental well-being.

My current beauty is the result of a combination of many factors, from exercise and lifestyle habits to eating and sleeping early, nutrition, and self-care.

I usually go to bed early, around 10 pm. However, I don't always manage that. I'm not perfect; city life, friendships, and my fun-loving nature sometimes mean I stay up later, but no matter how much fun I have, I always go to bed before midnight. I don't drink alcohol or soda. I drink plenty of water, and fruit juice in moderation.

- Does the title "Ageless Beauty" put pressure on you?

No. Sometimes when I go out, I still hear people saying things like, "This woman is quite old, but she looks so young." I was lucky to start my artistic career early, in my teens. The audience watched the films I participated in when they were very young, and now many of them have gotten married, some have grown children, and some have become grandmothers.

Even if I get older, in 10 or 20 years I'll still get old; I can't stay an 18 or 20-year-old girl forever. But being healthy and looking presentable for my age makes me happy.

I'm not afraid of getting old anymore either. When I was younger, I thought 30 or 40 was already very old. But now I'm 50, and I still look pretty good, right? (laughs). I'm happy because I've achieved what I wanted.

- To this day, in the hearts of many viewers, Thanh Mai is still "the poor goalkeeper." How do you feel whenever viewers call you by that name?

I am grateful. Sometimes, an actor is lucky enough to have just one role, one moment in a scene that people remember, and that makes them very happy. For example, I always remember the movie Gone with the Wind, my role as Scarlett O'Hara. I also liked Audrey Hepburn in some of her films.

Or in the movie Titanic , I'll never forget the image of the two people standing at the bow of the ship raising their hands… For me, too, having a role that audiences remember is a great blessing in my life.

- Dubbed the "Calendar Queen" of the 90s, do you remember your first appearance in newspapers and magazines?

That was the year I was studying at dance school, around 14 or 15 years old. I remember that the Nhan Dan newspaper came to Saigon to take pictures of dancers. I was one of three students chosen; we performed dance moves, and the pictures were published in the newspaper. That evening, I rode my bike to a newsstand and managed to buy a copy. I was so happy! It was the first time in my life I'd been in a newspaper. Back then, they didn't even write my name, just a general mention of me as a dancer from the first class of the dance school in Ho Chi Minh City, but I was incredibly happy and excited.

Later, when I won the film award (Runner-up in the Tomorrow's Film Star competition in 1992), my image appeared in many newspapers, and I was very happy, but I can never forget the feeling of seeing my image in the newspaper for the first time.

- I heard that actress Thanh Mai bought a house on a main street in the city center when she was very young?

Back then, houses were cheap, and everything was generally inexpensive. I remember I earned several gold bars for one performance. At that time, I had elaborate dance routines with artists like Ly Hung and Diem Huong… Sometimes I performed three shows a day during Tet at the City Theater.

Back then, there was no Facebook, TikTok, or YouTube, and television didn't have many channels. There weren't many other forms of entertainment, so people would go to the cinema or attend art programs in large numbers.

Our generation, born in the 1970s, struggled after the war, so we didn't spend extravagantly. When I earned money from performing, I asked my parents to save it for me, and when I had enough, I saved up to buy a house. When I was 16 or 17, I single-handedly covered all the living expenses for my younger siblings and the household.

The first house I bought was when I was just in my teens. I started a small business at 10. By 16, I had a small barbershop on Ly Chinh Thang Street. After a while, I opened a bigger one. Two years later, the landlord took back the premises, so I had to find another place and decided to buy a house instead.

In 2000, I owned a large corner house in the city center, facing the main road. I sold my current house and borrowed money from the bank and friends to buy that one. Before that, I already owned houses in large alleys, houses in District 3, and houses in Van Thanh. But that was the first house I owned right near Ben Thanh Market.

- Between "beautiful women have unfortunate fates" and "beautiful women have billions of dollars," which saying do you think best describes your life?

I think it's a case of "beauty brings billions." "Billions" here doesn't mean receiving windfalls from the sky. Having a good appearance, I get offers to act in films and pursue artistic endeavors.

When working at a beauty salon, maintaining a good appearance and knowing how to take care of myself earned me the trust of my clients and allowed me to earn billions of dong from my work. My job relies partly on my appearance, along with many other factors, but it's impossible to say that my appearance hasn't contributed to my small success.

- Have you ever found being a celebrity difficult?

I've always felt incredibly lucky. I was born with all my limbs intact, I'm decent-looking, and I get to do a job I love. I don't see anything that makes me sad. So I want to share positive things with everyone.

I'm not the type to appear cheerful on the outside but wither on the inside. Nor am I a socialite; I prefer meeting familiar friends to talk about new things, rather than meeting strangers to talk about familiar things. I'm tired of that kind of socializing.

How do you raise your children?

I teach my child to be independent and stand on their own two feet. I understand the value and joy of hard work. I hope my child will study hard, get a job, and reap the rewards of their labor. Currently, my child is in university, and they say they want to pursue a master's degree like me.

- Do you feel pressured being the daughter of a famous person like your sister?

I rarely share information about my child publicly. I respect their privacy. They live in the US, so people don't know them. They also don't interfere much in my life. I let their life develop normally.

- Does the happiness of an 18-year-old differ from the happiness of a woman who has experienced life's hardships?

At 18, happiness was being on screen, having my film well-received. Joy came from exploring , learning, graduating, and earning my degree. Now, happiness at my age is different; it's the happiness of stability and peace. Whatever I wanted, I feel I've already achieved.

If fate blesses me with more good fortune, that's great; otherwise, I'll just live slowly and enjoy the beautiful life. I believe in the law of karma, in positive energy. If you sow negativity, frown, and say hurtful things to others, they might tolerate it once or twice, but the third time they will retaliate with those negative words.

- Many people say that talented women are unhappy, that no matter how talented they are, it's not as good as marrying a rich husband. Do you think this saying is true?

I partly agree, but don't you think love is more unstable these days? There's an old saying, "Every pot has its lid." If you're with someone who refuses to move forward and just stays stagnant, would you still be happy? Would you still want to continue the relationship?

I believe everyone needs to be proactive today. No one should be a burden to anyone else. We should support each other, not become dependent on each other.

Source: https://vtc.vn/mc-thanh-mai-toi-la-hong-nhan-bac-ty-ar801032.html