The pain of a male People's Artist who is now a university lecturer

From a boy riding a bicycle in the midday sun to a stage star

People's Artist Trong Binh's fate with Cai Luong began on hot sunny afternoons in Dang Xa village, Gia Lam, Hanoi. In the late 1980s, when Trong Binh was only 13 or 14 years old, he often cycled 6km from home to school. At a certain stretch of road, there was a loudspeaker broadcasting the commune, so Trong Binh stopped to listen to the program.Folk and traditional musicbelong toVoice of Vietnam, broadcast on Tuesday and Friday afternoons.

There were also times of "climbing over fences, laying bricks, hiding in haystacks in the warehouse yard" to watch the Central Opera Troupe perform famous plays such asA few lines of mother's milk, Shrimp season, Song of life... From those sneak peeks, Trong Binh knew by heart ancient songs likeAreca nuts from Ha Chau and betel leaves from Xuan My, Sharing the burden of water and mountains, The girl watering beans...

In particular, every Saturday, Trong Binh would go to his neighbor's house to sweep the yard and chop some vegetables so that in the evening he could watch operas on TV likeBy the Silk Weaving Bridge, Miss Luu's Life, Lan and Diep, To Anh Nguyet.

Those melodies penetrated Trong Binh's soul. When the deadline for submitting university application documents came, although his parents intended him to study pedagogy, Trong Binh unexpectedly turned to theater and cinema, auditioned for actors, and was in the top 26 successful candidates.

Years of struggling with poverty

The time studying at the theater school was probably the most difficult time in the life of People's Artist Trong Binh. His family did not have the financial means, so he had to study and work at the same time. For 4 years, during the day he cycled from Sai Dong to Mai Dich (about 50 km) to pursue his passion for art, and at night he worked the night shift at Thang Long Metal Company.

He used his salary as a worker to support his parents and his A-class scholarship to cover his education. His sacrifice and efforts were well rewarded when Trong Binh continuously achieved excellent results in the whole school and graduated with honors, then joined the Vietnam Opera House.

At that time, the salary of a young artist was only 144,000 VND/month. The family tragedy became even more serious when his first child kept getting sick.

"The first child was sick a lot, and every time he was sick, he had convulsions, which was very pitiful," People's Artist Trong Binh said. Poverty forced him to take on a side job. Every morning, before going to the theater, he went to Hang Co station to clean the station to earn extra income to support his family.

When asked if he felt embarrassed about having to do manual labor, People's Artist Trong Binh affirmed that "anything is fine, as long as it is not illegal". It was that spirit that helped him overcome the most difficult days and Trong Binh never thought of leaving Cai Luong.

Journey to shine on stage

The first opportunity came to People's Artist Trong Binh in 2007 when People's Artist Hoang Quynh Mai trusted him with a role in the playConcubine Diem BichThis play became a "blockbuster" at the festival, opening a new door for his career.

In 2012, the role of a rich man in the playA love fairy talemarked an important turning point. To create a unique character - an illiterate rich old man who uses money to buy a title, he spent many sleepless nights studying the script and practicing in front of the mirror.

Trong Binh practiced for a whole month to create the character with an unusual gait and this role brought him an award.Best Actorwith a perfect score of 7/7 from the judges.

In 2020, the role of Tran Thiep in the playStorm- a drug lord with two faces, a businessman and a criminal - once again affirmed his versatile acting talent with a Gold medal.

With his forte in playing the roles of a unique, old, and charming man, he has many roles that his friends and colleagues must respect, such as the eunuch Luong Dang in the playBy the Starlight of Khuê, or Thuc Phan inThe Swan Dressbrought him a Gold medal at the 2018 National Professional Cai Luong Theater Arts Competition.

Burn out, regardless of big or small role

"The life of an artist is truly happy, sometimes being a father, a husband, a son, a king; sometimes being a despicable, evil person, sometimes being a loyal minister dedicating all his heart to the country. I am happy when I can live in the character and sing the Cai Luong melodies and juggle with the director and co-stars," People's Artist Trong Binh once shared.

To achieve that success, he had to practice a lot. After receiving the script, Trong Binh spent time researching to choose a unique way to express it.

In 2024, Trong Binh was one of 42 artists awarded the title of People's Artist in the 10th batch. Currently, in addition to his role as an artist, he is also an art manager and lecturer at the Hanoi University of Theatre and Cinema. With his students, he always emphasizes the spirit of giving his all, regardless of big or small roles, main or supporting roles.

People's Artist Trong Binh also sings Chau Van at temples and shrines. He shared that even though it is a side job, it helps him earn money and support his main profession, Cai Luong, because for Trong Binh, Cai Luong is still number one.