Little-known stories about the 'roof' of People's Artist Bui Bai Binh
Quiet, rarely appearing in the media, although famous before her husband, but friends all admit that Bui Bai Binh would not be the current Bui Bai Binh without his wife - Meritorious Artist Ngoc Thu.
As one of the first generation of actors to receive formal training in Vietnamese cinema, Meritorious Artist Ngoc Thu almost "died" after her role as Ut Tich in the film "Mother Away from Home" by director Tran Khanh Du.
At the time of playing the role of a Southern mother who “was beaten to death”, artist Ngoc Thu was in her early 20s and had not yet started a family. The film later won the Golden Lotus Award at the 5th Vietnam Film Festival and the Crystal Vase Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 1980.
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Sister Ut Tich Ngoc Thu. |
With a petite, gentle appearance, and the elegant temperament of a Hanoi girl, but perhaps impressed by the fact that Ut Tich was too big, Ngoc Thu was continuously invited to play roles with difficult fates, either as a martyr's wife (in the movie "The Unbuilt Wall" by director Nguyen Khac Loi) or as a spinster, a single mother, a lonely woman in her own family (in the movies "The Birds Return"; "Lark in the City"; "Student of the Water God"; "Little Sun"...).
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Current artist Ngoc Thu (far right). |
In contrast to the fates on screen, Meritorious Artist Ngoc Thu's private life is quite peaceful. She is one of the few actresses who goes against the stereotype of "beauty but ill-fated" when she has a happy marriage with People's Artist Bui Bai Binh and 2 sons who inherit all the beauty of their father and mother.
The relationship of the golden couple in Vietnamese cinema started in their second year of university. Ms. Thu shared:
“Back then, when we were in the same class, I never thought that my life would be tied to that skinny, lanky, unremarkable guy.” But no one can learn the unexpected, after the two became a couple, their friends were still surprised: Is it true?
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Couple Ngoc Thu - Bui Bai Binh. |
Actually, the joke of friends is not without reason, because on the surface, Ngoc Thu and Bui Bai Binh have many similarities, to the point of going against the law: Opposites attract. Both of them accidentally came to cinema. When he was young, Bui Bai Binh took a car repair course at Hanoi Bridge and Road Company and planned to follow this profession to make a living. As for Ngoc Thu, out of curiosity, she registered for an acting audition but at the last minute was too scared to enter the exam room. In the end, perhaps because of the profession she chose, she still went on to success.
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Ngoc Thu and Thanh Quy were co-stars at the same time, and in real life they are also close friends. |
The roles of the two are also similar, Ngoc Thu specializes in female fates with hardships and many worries, Bui Bai Binh is the same to the point that someone jokingly said: "If it's not miserable, it's not Bui Bai Binh".
Talking about her husband, Meritorious Artist Ngoc Thu said: In real life, Mr. Binh is a quiet person, lives simply, sincerely, and loves his friends very much, to the point that sometimes his wife feels a little sad. Since the day they got married, the housework and raising the children have all been taken care of by her alone. When the acting profession was not enough to support the actors, she also accepted to choose to retire behind the scenes, open a coffee shop to make a living so that her husband could peacefully pursue his acting career.
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Bui Bai Binh during the filming of "Village Ghost". |
Successful with many movies and "gentle" roles such as "Ken son-in-law", "Buc tuong khong xay", "Kho nguoi noi cuoc chien", "Thi tho tho", "Lay nhau vi tinh", "Mua dam ngo nho", "Son ca trong thanh pho", "Ngay chu chu vong vong chua"... but the role of Hoa in the movie "Mua guava" (Director Dang Nhat Minh) has closed Bui Bai Binh's journey as a "gentle, kind, good-natured" person.
Four years later, he reappeared on screen with a new image: the role of the Village Chief with a villainous personality in the film "Huong Dat" directed by Quoc Trong. And with the role of Tong in "Ma Lang", Khuyenh in "Gio Lang Kinh" (Director Nguyen Huu Phan), Bui Bai Binh really made an irreplaceable impression with his mischievous, mean look, his cunning smirk and the meanness of a devil in human form.
Many moviegoers who came to the coffee shop and saw Bui Bai Binh exclaimed: "Why are you so mean?". One time, Bui Bai Binh's little son even got angry at his father and said: "Dad, don't play the bad guy next time. My friends who watched the movie hate you and hate me too!"
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Bui Bai Binh in "Small path into life". |
Returning to the "rear" of Uncle Thanh (the latest role of Bui Bai Binh in "Small Path to Life"), in 2006, after the movie "The Monsoon Blows Forever", Ngoc Thu decided to leave Vietnam Feature Film Studio to retire early along with actresses like Minh Chau, Thanh Quy, Dieu Thuan... She said, it was a difficult decision and a great loss. Having pursued acting all her life, retiring early means a failure in her career. Failure is not because she is not capable, not because she does not love the job, but it is really a matter of "making a living".
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Current beauty of "Ut Tich sister". |
A woman's love for her husband will never be unfaithful. Many times, artist Bui Bai Binh has expressed his respect and gratitude for his "roof".
He confided: "My wife sacrificed a lot, when she had to put aside her dream of becoming an actress to return to the home front to do business, take care of the small family while I was away following film crews... I am a happy man in my own way and know how to make myself happy. In my opinion, happiness is not just superficial glamour as people mistakenly think. For me, happiness is witnessing the growth of my children, sharing with my wife my passion for the profession. In my family, I am a "supporting role". If we consider family as a movie, Ngoc Thu is the main character."