People's Artist Hong Van's son opens up about the pressure of being a 'family heir'
Having a mother who is a famous artist, Khoi Nguyen admits that he cannot avoid the pressure. However, the son of People's Artist Hong Van chooses to try to overcome it.
Khoi Nguyen was born in 1997, the second son of People's Artist Hong Van. He impressed with his great height and impressive academic achievements. Khoi Nguyen graduated with a major in film production from Fullerton College in California (USA), then continued to pass the entrance exam to study film directing at Chapman University. With his efforts, the 26-year-old man makes People's Artist Hong Van proud because he has now become his mother's colleague in the art field.
Sharing with us, Khoi Nguyen said that he used to watch his mother perform, even going on stage with her. After a period of effort, the 9X guy is now a young director, having the opportunity to work with his mother in a new role.
He said: "When I started studying cinema, many new things opened up, typically I got to work with my mother Hong Van as a director - actress. She is experienced in the profession so everyone working with her was worried, but I felt comfortable. The two of us discussed and worked together - those were precious moments and experiences for me."
Khoi Nguyen admitted that when working together, he could not avoid arguing with People's Artist Hong Van. However, both of them knew how to balance their egos to bring the best to the project. "My mother has her reasons, I have my reasons. But my mother and I always try to balance to get the best for the film," the young director expressed.
Khoi Nguyen admitted that he could not avoid the pressure of being a "family heir". The young director gave an example of himself trying to do a good job but some people did not recognize it, seeing it as something obvious thanks to a solid foundation from his family. On the contrary, Khoi Nguyen still had to receive criticism if he did not do well. "Besides those things, there are positive things that I also have to acknowledge as a family heir", he said.
Regarding the gossip surrounding “relying on his biological mother”, Khoi Nguyen said he did not pay attention. Explaining this, People’s Artist Hong Van’s son confided: “My starting point is like that so I cannot avoid those comments. The way I deal with that is to do the best I can at what I am doing.”
In the process of trying to prove himself, Khoi Nguyen encountered many difficulties but he never thought of giving up. The male director said that he has "artistic blood" so "doing another job that is not in the art field is difficult for me". "Therefore, I have never thought of giving up. When facing difficulties, I always remind myself to try hard every day", he affirmed.
Khoi Nguyen once studied directing in the US. After graduating, he spent time abroad to gain experience and find a place to use his talents. However, the young director also wants to return to Vietnam to challenge himself and, above all, to contribute to the country's cinema. "From then until now, my mother has always supported my decisions. Of course, any choice will have risks, but as long as the family finds the decision suitable, they will support me," Hong Van's son confided.
