The ups and downs of the life of the cast of 'Saigon Special Forces' after 39 years

Saigon Special Forces4 episodes long (Rendezvous, Silence, Storm, Give Me Back My Name), aired in 1986. The film was directed by Long Van, recreating the outstanding events of the Saigon special forces in the war to liberate the South and unify the country.

At that time, the film was a highlight of the country’s cinema, setting box office records and bringing the names of many artists such as Quang Thai, Thuy An, Thuong Tin, Ha Xuyen, Hai Nhat, Thanh Loan… closer to the public. More than 4 decades have passed, the lives of the cast in the film have also changed a lot.

Thuong Tin lives a difficult life in his old age

InSaigon Special Forces, Thuong Tin plays the role of Sau Tam - a handsome, brave soldier. The role helps the actor win the hearts of many audiences. This is also the role of a lifetime in Thuong Tin's career.

He once said that when Saigon Special Forces first showed in Hanoi, the six biggest cinemas in the capital were packed with people, jostling each other so much that the cinema doors were kicked open."Never in my life have I seen cinema so powerful,"Thuong Tin said.

During his heyday, Thuong Tin was also the most sought-after name on the screen, setting a record as the male actor who starred in the most movies in one year. However, Thuong Tin's career "went downhill" because of his addiction to gambling.

In February 2021, Thuong Tin suffered a stroke but was taken to the hospital in time. He received a large amount of donations and support from the audience. However, this amount of money did not help change the actor's life. For a time, Thuong Tin rented a house in Ho Chi Minh City and worked as a shipper, but quit the job because he was not healthy enough.

Over the past few years, artist Thuong Tin has been in decline both in health and finances. The actor used to receive support from musician To Hieu for accommodation and to connect him with singing shows. However, To Hieu decided to stop helping after Thuong Tin accused his junior of embezzling his salary.

He then returned to his hometown Phan Rang, life was more difficult than before and he asked To Hieu for help many times.

In October 2024, Thuong Tin had a motorbike accident. He was then taken to the hospital by locals for emergency treatment. Since then, his condition has worsened, making it difficult for him to walk.

Currently, Thuong Tin's health is getting worse. The actor has lost the ability to walk and has to use a wheelchair or be carried by someone. According to the doctor's results, his right leg has a broken kneecap and is no longer able to recover. His left leg has severe knee arthritis and requires long-term medication. This makes everyone feel sorry and worried for the once-famous actor.

Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan has a fulfilled life

Taking on the role of nun Huyen Trang in Saigon Special Forces, Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan had to sacrifice her long hair to serve the audience. This was also the last role in the actress's acting career.

She chose to gradually disappear from the screen because she was afraid "there would be no role that could surpass the role of nun Huyen Trang".

After the success of the film, she switched to directing documentaries and retired with the rank of Colonel. Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan got married at the age of 23 to a husband who is a PhD in Information Technology, 10 years older. There was a time when she switched to studying directing and took on the role of Head of the Police Cinema Association.

At the age of 74, Meritorious Artist Thanh Loan lives a peaceful and happy life with her children and grandchildren in Hanoi. She spends a lot of time with her grandchildren, practicing yoga, and doing volunteer work after retirement.

Meritorious Artist Ha Xuyen lives peacefully after divorce

InSaigon Special Forces, Meritorious Artist Ha Xuyen plays Ngoc Mai - a brave intelligence officer with the code name Z20. Ngoc Mai pretends to be the wife of the intelligence chief to deceive the authorities at that time. The character impresses with her gorgeous, elegant beauty and resilient, brave personality. Before that, she made an impression through the movieFar and nearwith the role of a very simple engineer from Hanoi.

Receiving the role from director Long Van, Ha Xuyen was worried because the character and she did not match each other. She read a lot of literature books to form the character's personality in her head.

After the movieSaigon Special Forces, artist Ha Xuyen participated in several films before moving to work at the Vietnam Cinema Arts and Archives Center. She was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist in 2001.

Beautiful and talented, she had a difficult love life. Meritorious Artist Ha Xuyen got married at the age of 20 to her husband, who was then the conductor of the Thai Binh Song and Dance Troupe, and had two children, a boy and a girl. After the divorce, she became a single mother.

In her old age, Meritorious Artist Ha Xuyen said her joy is meeting friends, occasionally participating in TV shows, and doing charity work.

"My joy is seeing my children grow up and become successful. My children live on their own, and the family gets together on weekends. I have a pension, enough income to live comfortably."artist said.

Meritorious Artist Hai Nhat overcame "death's door" after a stroke

Meritorious Artist Hai Nhat became famous with the villain role of Ba Can in Saigon Special Forces. After the success of the film, he participated in many works such asThe Night Owl, The Masked Man, The Boss's Daughter, The Cold-Blooded Border Robber... His artistic life is associated with a series of notorious villain roles.

After that, he kept his passion for movies, winning the Best Actor award at the 2011 National Television Festival for his role as Bay Xoai - a gangster boss inChildren of Saigon commandos.

In the programHappy memories,People's Artist Hong Van once revealed:"Brother Hai Nhat is very rich and a big boss, but because he plays the villain so well, we are afraid to get close."

Meritorious Artist Hai Nhat has 7 children, among whom actor Thanh Dat followed in his father's footsteps. In recent years, due to his old age and poor health, he has acted in few films, only accepting suitable scripts and turning to business. The most recent work he participated in was a crime film.Fire profile,aired in 2017.

In October 2023, the male artist suddenly suffered a stroke but was rushed to the emergency room by his family in time, so he was fortunate to survive the critical condition. Before that, he had a history of high blood pressure, cardiovascular symptoms, and recently discovered lung disease.

In 2024, the male artist was hospitalized again for a stroke, but fortunately survived the critical stage. After that, he had to be rushed to the emergency room for acute enteritis. After passing through "death's door", the male artist tried to keep his spirits up and live happily with his children and grandchildren.

Artist Aly Dung lived a miserable life before passing away

Aly Dung plays a soldier in Saigon Special Forces. The actor is of mixed Vietnamese and Saudi Arabian descent. He has participated in many famous theater troupes such asCuu Long Giang, Kim Cuong, Bach Lan, Vui theater troupeand took on many different roles but only as supporting roles.

Although he has been active in the arts for nearly 50 years, his life has been full of ups and downs. In his old age, Aly Dung lives alone in a 9m2 apartment in Ho Chi Minh City.

Despite his lack of life, he still has a love for art. He often performs to earn money to support his life. The actor said that even though he only receives a salary of 200,000-300,000 VND, he is still happy because "he has some money coming in and going out".

He also writes scripts and opens acting classes for young people who cannot afford to go to formal school. Despite his precarious life, he still hopes to live with his profession for the rest of his life.

Regarding his personal life, Aly Dung admitted that he had experienced many broken relationships. At the age of 68, the actor married a woman. He had hoped that this would be his last love, however, they were only together for about 2 years before breaking up.

In December 2023, Aly Dung passed away at the age of 73 due to leukemia.