Daughter of 'The Judge': 'My salary is not as high as Thanh Bi'

Actress Thanh Huong said she has no billion-dollar advertising contracts after appearing in the hit TV series "The Judge".

In the TV series "The Judge", actress Thanh Huong made an impression when playing the role of Phan Huong - daughter of boss Phan Quan - a violent, strong character, talented at throwing knives and often beating her husband.

Thanh Huong said Phan Huong is an interesting character but very different from her personality in real life. "I'm gentle and weak, not that fierce," the actress laughed.

Thanh Huong was once the runner-up of a beauty contest and is now the mother of two young children.

Actress Thanh Huong plays Phan Huong - daughter of boss Phan Quan in the movie "The Judge". Photo: VFC.

'Going by looks won't last long'

- You won 1st runner-up in the Miss Hai Duong 2006 contest. At that time, why did you stop instead of continuing to compete in Miss Vietnam or other beauty contests to find opportunities for yourself?

- Actually, when I competed in Miss Hai Duong 2006, I was only 17 years old and the youngest contestant of that year. At that time, I didn't think much, seeing the competition as a challenge and not as ambitious to win this or that prize. When I got to the second round, I told my parents to come and cheer for me on the final night.

After the exam, I returned to Hanoi College of Arts to continue my first year. Art is what I am passionate about and truly pursue, so even though the top 3 of the contest would be in Miss Vietnam, I did not participate. I did not dream of changing my life thanks to a beauty title, so I did not regret anything. Taking exams at that time was very innocent and did not cost much money.

- Coming out of a beauty contest, you must have been sought after. However, your life seemed quiet, then you became a stage actress at the Hanoi Drama Theater?

- It's true that I also have a title, I'm also sought after, when I won runner-up, many places invited me to be an exclusive model, and I was approached by rich men, not that I didn't.

But all of that can not compare to my studying and passion. My personality is to love studying so I ignore all other halos. I studied at the College of Arts and at the Foreign Trade University at the same time.

I graduated with honors in acting and also received a bachelor's degree from Foreign Trade University. But I only studied to know and to improve my knowledge, because now I have no use for my Foreign Trade degree.

Thanh Huong won first runner-up in the Miss Hai Duong 2006 contest. That year, Miss Huong Giang was crowned.

- Having the advantage of appearance and being well-trained, you only really got noticed when you played the role of Phan Huong in "The Judge". How do you explain this?

- People say that if you have good looks, you can go faster and easier. I think that way, it won't last long. I just do my job, work hard. I don't calculate anything.

If you try and make an effort, sooner or later it will be recognized. I follow my own path so it will probably be a little more difficult. But when you are passionate, you don't think about difficulties.

'My salary is not 3 billion VND'

- It's not hard to see that when playing Phan Huong, you have to be stronger and look older than you do in real life. Are these requirements difficult for you?

- If anyone meets me in real life, they will see that I am completely different from the character Phan Huong. I am not that formidable and strong. But I like Phan Huong and went through many casting rounds to play this role because of the attractiveness of the character's personality. In fact, Phan Huong is not only strong and powerful, she is also very emotional.

When Mrs. Ho Thu was forced to leave her home by boss Phan Quan, she cried a lot. When her husband left without a single penny, she was also very worried. I intentionally expressed many emotional details in the film clearly so that the audience could understand the character better.

Phan Huong is not only a fighter with men, not only violent, but also a colorful character. Tears are the unique highlight of Phan Huong. I deliberately expressed that multifaceted character.

It's true that I have to act older, rougher, not as young as in real life, playing the role of the boss's daughter (laughs).

- You acted out some of the scenes where you threw knives and knocked your husband down yourself...?

- The martial arts scene, knocking down my husband was not difficult for me because I have studied martial arts for many years, those moves are very simple for me. The knife throwing scene was difficult but I did it for real, without any stunt double.

In fact, knife throwing is a dangerous scene for co-star Anh Duc, who plays Khai "So Khanh". The knife is real, the throwing is real, so if you are not careful, it is very dangerous.

To successfully film some of these scenes, I had to have my own tricks. One was to work at close range, the other was to fly at slow speed. That way, Anh Duc would be safer.

Thanh Huong is married and has two daughters. Photo: NVCC.

- With the role of boss Phan Quan's daughter, how has your life changed?

- I think there have been changes, but not much. I am known and recognized by more audiences, and I am busier than before. That is really a blessing. The role of Phan Huong is not too big, but for me it is a role of a lifetime in my career. I think thanks to this role, I will have certain progress.

- You often appear in commercials with actor Anh Duc, and on your personal page you often advertise the brand's products. An actor of "The Judge" revealed that he received 3 billion VND in advertising money since the film aired, so you must have a similar huge income?

- I also read Thanh Bi's article about her 3 billion VND advertising salary. Actually, I can only congratulate her because she is so tall and much taller than me. I don't have any billion-dollar contracts like that. I often joke with people that I am "Phan Huong sister" and don't have any "billion" at all.

Of course, the salary is higher. But I usually don't discuss it with agencies or brands. I let people propose their salary, if I think it's okay, I agree and they will send it to me. Currently, actors do a lot of advertising. Thanks to the love of the audience, my life is quite stable.

According to VNE