Trung Hieu: "If you don't play, then don't play, but life must be brilliant"

While most of the public often choose calligraphy with the words "Heart", "Happiness" or "Patience"... on the occasion of Tet and Spring, Meritorious Artist Trung Hieu said that he would still choose the word "Du" (from the word "Wandering").

"The old man"

It's not that Mr. Do of "Ghost Village - 10 Years Later" (Ghost Village 2) wants to "show off" or be different from others, but to him, "human life is a journey and life is also a game," the artist said.

At first hearing, many people will probably think he is a reckless "player" or a romantic who always looks carefree.

Behind the image of an artist with multi-dimensional roles (sometimes as a gentle, honest young man in “Lap Nghiep,” “Dong Que Xao Cac,” and sometimes as a cruel, cunning person like the robber Bach Dan in “Loi Tan Hoi Ban Van”), Trung Hieu is also an artist with the hobby of “aging before his time.”

Trung Hieu said that about ten years ago, people used the term "young old man" to describe him - a young man passionate about bird keeping, a young actor fascinated with the art of calligraphy.

Perhaps that is why Trung Hieu's artistic life is quite peaceful and not at all bland, as his light-hearted and meaningful saying goes: "If you don't play, then don't play, but life must be brilliant!"

The path to art and the hobby of many artists is often paved by fate. For Trung Hieu, everything is very coincidental and quite spontaneous.

Pedestrians on an unfamiliar road

More than 20 years ago, leaving behind three admission notices from three "famous" universities (Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi Law and National Economics), he took the fourth turn - the most precarious path: becoming a student at the University of Theater and Cinema, dedicating his life to art.

“At first, when I applied for that field, I only intended to take the exam for fun. Before that, I never dreamed that my life would be tied to acting. However, the result was really surprising. My whole family encouraged me to study at this school to have a different color from my two older brothers. So, I immediately nodded and… went,” Trung Hieu said.

The “bridge” that brought Trung Hieu to calligraphy was equally spontaneous. It was around 2001, when his older brother was studying Chinese and “invited” him to join. Then, when he saw the calligraphers “dancing with their pens,” he felt excited and decided to buy a pen and ink, Chinese ink, and materials to study on his own. “Seeing that, many people said I was crazy,” Trung Hieu recalled.

With those special routes, the more you travel, the more interesting experiences you will have. “Those are the places where I discover myself,” Trung Hieu confided. Over time, the initial coincidence has gradually permeated, “taken root” and become an indispensable part of his life.

Trung Hieu said that calligraphy helps him balance his life. (Photo: Contributor)

If acting is where Trung Hieu positions himself, then calligraphy is the quiet place for him to calm down and balance himself after being busy on set and struggling with drama.

“After many roles, especially those with cunning, mean and vile personalities like Khang in the movie 'Duong Doi.' I often need some time to regain my balance. In times like these, calligraphy helps me feel relaxed and calm,” the artist confided.

A few years ago, the Hanoi public often saw "calligrapher" Trung Hieu, sometimes in a turban and a traditional Vietnamese dress, sometimes in jeans and a T-shirt, sitting and writing at the Temple of Literature; or sometimes, people saw him "speaking up" about calligraphy. However, recently, Trung Hieu said, he mainly writes at home.

“Human temperament also changes a bit at different stages. Perhaps, now that I am older, I often prefer to write in a private space with silence. All thoughts are focused on words,” Trung Hieu shared about

New game

Just like that, he silently and calmly walked through the rumors and gossip about his gender to go his own way and embark on new games.

“Being over 40 years old and still single like me, it’s normal for people to gossip about me. Moreover, being an artist means the public will pay more attention and be more curious,” he said, then smiled humorously and immediately started talking about something else. Although he knows that artists are public figures, he still wants to keep his own private corners.

Despite being a famous actor, Trung Hieu does not attract attention with his extravagant, elaborate costumes or his “rough” and strange outfits. On the contrary, his simple, neat appearance and gentle glasses easily make people imagine him as an intellectual, a gentle young man (even a bit foolish) rather than a unique artist with multi-dimensional roles.

Then Trung Hieu surprised the public and made them somewhat “impatient” when, from his role as an actor, he gradually “encroached” into the field of directing. “Nameless Woman” and “The Well in the Heart of the City” directed by him have not created a special resonance or impression in the public’s heart.

When asked if the artist had ever thought about the fact that he might have to pay a high price (exchanging his position as a top actor for a mid-level director), he calmly replied: “If you keep comparing and calculating like that, you will never dare or have the opportunity to do the things you love. Moreover, life would be boring without new challenges. Everything takes time.”

He wants to be a director so that he can oversee and take care of every aspect of the play. Moreover, he also wants to inspire the younger generation when talented, dedicated young artists are becoming increasingly rare.

Meritorious Artist Trung Hieu (white shirt) in a scene from the film "Ghost Village - 10 Years Later" (Photo: Film crew)

Looking at Trung Hieu's artistic journey (every year he regularly appears in two or three plays and about the same number of TV series), many people say that his path has been quite smooth and favorable. It lacks twists and turns, rough patches, so he lacks thorns.

“Only those who have been there can truly understand. When the theater falls into a state of ‘hibernation’, with no audience, Vietnamese films lose right at home to the influx of Korean and Chinese films... sometimes, I myself wonder: where will my future go and can I stay in this profession with only faith?” Trung Hieu confided, his eyes still fixed on the audience seats.

According to Vietnamplus