Tuan Anh: 'I starved myself, got my teeth gold to play a villain'

Actor Tuan Anh said he fasted all day to act out the vulgar and greedy eating scenes of the character Bat in the movie "Life is Still Beautiful".

The actor talks about his role and behind the scenes of playing Bat - the gangster in the movie Life is Still Beautiful . Being a playboy and in debt, Bat causes a lot of trouble for his sister - Luyen (Thanh Huong), and also makes many other people suffer.

- What chance brought you to the role?

- I graduated from the acting training class of the Vietnam Television Film Production Center, and had brief appearances in several other series. For my new role, after casting, I was chosen partly because of my appearance and suitable acting. I have a knack for playing funny or villainous roles. Bat is a hateful destroyer but still has a sense of humor, which suits me.

I am happy that the role has been recognized by the audience, with both criticism and praise. That is the motivation for a young actor like me.

Actor Tuan Anh as Bat. Photo: VFC

- How did you research to play the role of a gangster and a double-faced person?

- Since I was a student, I have done many different jobs to earn money to pursue my passion for art, and have come into contact with many crooked and profiteering people. I always observe, filter, and put into my roles.

As the first role with a clear story and destiny, I set a goal to perform well so that the audience would remember. In the early days, I was quite pressured when acting with many famous names such as artists Thanh Quy, Hoang Hai, Thanh Huong, afraid that if I did not do well, it would affect the progress of the whole group. Thanks to the guidance of director Danh Dung, I caught up with the intensity and way of working.

- Many audiences praised the character Bat for his impressive appearance. How did you go through the makeup process to get into character?

- Every day, I arrive at the set early and eat quickly. Because my teeth are quite white, I have to make my teeth look yellow and wear makeup to darken my skin. The teeth makeup is quite elaborate and easy to fade, so during filming, I limit my eating and drinking so that the color doesn't fade.

In addition to the compliments, I read some viewers commenting that Bat's teeth "look horrible, can't swallow rice" or "these teeth are enough to ripen a bunch of green bananas with just a breath of air". I think the details from the hair to the clothes of each character are calculated by the director and the film crew. Bat is a street thug, of course he can't have a decent appearance.

- Which scenes in the movie do you remember?

- The film was filmed in the summer, in the hot weather, the whole crew crammed into cramped rented houses in the Long Bien market area. I had to act in many scenes of being chased, fighting, and being beaten, which made me easily exhausted. I wasn't afraid of injury, but because I had to scream a lot, my voice was easily hoarse, which affected the live recording. The crew often arranged difficult scenes for me at the end of the session, so that the actors could rest at night, ensuring their health for the next day.

In addition, Bat lives here and there, is short of money, and has many scenes of eating and drinking indiscriminately, as if starving, making viewers both hate and sympathize. Before filming these scenes, I often starved from morning. When filming, I would eat more, and appear vulgar and impolite. Thanks to that, I would not feel uncomfortable if the director asked me to film many times. I also like the scenes interacting with Ms. Tinh (artist Thanh Quy), because they give me a familiar, close feeling like being with a relative.

- After the role of Bat, what are your plans for your acting career?

- Many people tease me, "After playing a gangster role, I probably won't get married." I don't think much about side issues, just focus on fulfilling my responsibilities. I took the entrance exam to the University of Theatre and Cinema but failed. Not graduating from an acting major, I was sometimes confused, only knowing how to act by instinct. Three years ago, when I joined a training class, I learned how to develop my strengths. In the future, I want to try many types of characters, both good and bad.

Tuan Anh was born in 1996, graduated from the Academy of Journalism and Communication. Passionate about acting, he used to film many comedy videos , make vlogs, and search for groups and clubs for casting. In 2019, Tuan Anh was admitted to the actor training class of the Vietnam Television Film Production Center. Before acting in Life is still beautiful , he participated in a short role in the film 11 months and 5 days .

Vnexpress.net