Actor Cong Ninh becomes a father at the age of 51, happy with his younger wife

“My life has been full of ups and downs, and I have been tested by life too many times. To achieve anything, I have to work twice or three times harder than others,” Meritorious Artist Cong Ninh once commented about his life.

Poor childhood, selling tea for a living

When he was young, Cong Ninh's family was poor. At the age of 13, he had to drop out of school to help his family sell iced tea, orange cakes, cassava... After a year, he begged his mother to let him go back to school.

After graduating from high school, his mother expected Cong Ninh to go to the University of Technology, but she did not expect that her son secretly dreamed of becoming an actor. He secretly took the entrance exam to the Stage Arts School 2 (now the University of Theater and Cinema, Ho Chi Minh City).

Unexpectedly, the talent show went completely contrary to the artist's imagination. He acted out the scene of him crying when he saw his mother die, but the audience below kept laughing.

On the way home, Cong Ninh was sure that his path to pursuing an acting career was over, so he just cried. Unexpectedly, a month later, he was informed that he had passed the exam, and was even the runner-up.

Appearance when he was still "handsome", according to Meritorious Artist Cong Ninh.

After 4 years, he graduated with honors, winning 1 of 2 scholarships at the Leningrad Institute of Film Technology (now Saint-Petersburg State University of Television and Cinema, Russia).

Being shy and introverted, the change in living environment, weather, culture, language… caused Cong Ninh to face difficulties. He was almost sent back to his country twice.

After completing 5 years of studying abroad, Cong Ninh returned home to continue his master's degree. Despite his advanced studies, he was still unemployed, sadly watching his peers such as Thanh Loc, Hong Van, Thanh Hoang, Quoc Thao... all become famous.

Teacher of Tran Thanh and many stars

When he returned to Stage Arts School 2 to work as a lecturer with a salary of 800,000 VND/month, Cong Ninh temporarily had a stable life and began to devote all his heart to training students.

Just like that, he trained many generations of famous actors such as Tran Thanh, Ngoc Trinh, Viet Huong, Thai Hoa, Thanh Thuy, Le Khanh, Hoa Hiep, Tiet Cuong, Tri Quang... to famous directors such as Vu Ngoc Dang, Nguyen Quang Dung, Duc Thinh.

Applying Russian training methods, Cong Ninh absolutely encourages students to freely create, and at the same time accepts their creations. Besides, he grasps the psychology of each student to have appropriate transmission to each person.

Cong Ninh with his students.

Thanks to that, many of Cong Ninh's students have emerged with distinct artistic personalities, not being copies of anyone, including their teacher. In addition to teaching the profession, Meritorious Artist is also admired for his dedicated treatment and guidance as a teacher.

In a talk show in 2019, Tran Thanh told the story of being expelled from school for running shows and owing tuition fees. When he could not change the disciplinary board's opinion, Cong Ninh came to encourage his student: "You are too good. I have nothing more to teach you" to help Tran Thanh feel less sad and remorseful when he was forced to leave school.

Vu Ngoc Dang was once oriented by Cong Ninh to study directing after studying acting. When his student graduated, he introduced him to the Director of TFS Film Studio, so that he could later be assigned to make the filmMouseand famous. Vu Ngoc Dang admitted that without his teacher, he might have remained unknown forever.

Last July, Cong Ninh - Head of the Directing Department at the University of Theatre and Cinema in Ho Chi Minh City officially retired. From now on, he wants to spend more time with his family and his role as an artist.

The artist has achieved many impressive achievements as both director and actor.

Not only is he a teacher of many generations of artists, Cong Ninh is also a talented director and actor with an admirable career.

As a director, the workNostalgic NightNot only is it a brilliant milestone in Cong Ninh's career, but it is also a phenomenon in the history of Vietnamese drama. The play brought him the Gold Medal of the National Professional Theatre Festival and the awardBest DirectorHe has directed over 50 stage and television plays.

Cong Ninh also left his mark in countless roles, from movies such asWho goes down the river, life is goodto TV series:White blouse, Under the flag of justice, The shadow beside her husband, Calling the dream back...

Happy marriage with wife 21 years younger

Cong Ninh and his wife - voice actress Tuyet Van got married in 2012. They have a daughter, who is 10 years old this year. The couple's 10-year marriage journey has been both sweet and difficult.

At the age of 20, Tuyet Van was a student at the University of Theatre and Cinema in Ho Chi Minh City. She did not study with Cong Ninh but always admired his reputation. Her impression of him was that "such a successful person looks ascetic".

One time, Tuyet Van took the initiative to greet Cong Ninh. Unexpectedly, when he returned home, he suddenly felt nostalgic for the student's friendliness and warmth, so he tried to contact her.

At first, Tuyet Van was afraid of the age gap but gradually talked more openly with Cong Ninh. She found the veteran artist to be approachable, with many awkward points and not as perfect as his image on the outside.

11 years of marriage and 15 years together, Cong Ninh and Tuyet Van have experienced many ups and downs. When they first met, they were mocked as "grandfather-grandchild relationship".

Not long after his wife gave birth to their first child, Cong Ninh suffered from severe pneumonia, with a part of his lung being blackened and at risk of turning into cancer. He decided to move out and take care of his own medical treatment for a year, so his wife could focus on raising their young child.

Every time this story is mentioned, Tuyet Van sheds tears. "I came to him to take care of him. But when he was seriously ill, facing death, I could not be by his side," the actress shared.

Cong Ninh is an example for many artists.

Becoming a father at the age of 51, Cong Ninh considers his daughter his source of life. Meritorious Artist admitted that during the "near-death" period, his daughter was the motivation for him to overcome his illness.

Having a wife and children, he also works harder to earn money to take care of his family. Cong Ninh is often complained by Tuyet Van for spoiling his children too much. She once shared: "He spends too much brainpower taking care of his children, even on unrealistic things. Because of him, my child used to not be afraid of heights but now he is."

In showbiz, Cong Ninh is a rare artist admired for both his career and his family. He has never stopped worrying about the stage and movies. After quitting his job as a lecturer, the artist has more time to invest in his career and be closer to his wife and children - something he always felt guilty about before.