Why was artist Le Mai just awarded the title of Meritorious Artist at the age of 85?

Artist Le Mai: "I just thought it was no good"...

Before becoming involved in television dramas, artist Le Mai spent nearly 20 years with the Hanoi Drama Troupe, taking on many different roles such as:Stories of the guerrillas, Sugarcane fields, July nights, Hanoi in early 1946, The frontline calls…After three births, her health weakened, and she weighed only 34 kg. With the reason that she was too weak to be an actress, the agency asked her to be the treasurer. "I had to cry and nod, speechless. If I went to perform, I would have money to pay for my beauty, an extra kilo of butter, and a few cartons of milk every month. Being a fund manager would be nothing, but at least I would still have a salary and a job," she once confided.

After two years, she applied for retirement. It was the early 1980s, she returned home with a meager salary. Just when her career seemed to have come to an end, she was invited by director Ha Van Trong to act in a movie, playing the role of a beggar in the movieThe neighbor's child. Thanks to acting, life is less difficult, and her spirit is more comfortable than before. She gained 20kg and was happy when she was occasionally invited to make films to relieve her longing for the profession. When mentioning artist Le Mai, the audience still remembers her role in:Grandma doesn't like to eat Pizza, Sticky Rice...

"In recent years, I probably got old so I didn't receive any more invitations to act in movies. When I was making movies, I still rode a motorbike to the scenes. Now I can't because I have shingles and can't blink. Lately, I've been having joint and leg pain, and it's been difficult for me to walk, so I have to stay home for a while to get treatment," artist Le Mai confided.

Asked People's Artist Le Khanh - artist Le Mai's daughter, why she has only now been awarded the title of Meritorious Artist? Is it because she did not file a profile or for some other reason? People's Artist Le Khanh did not want to share in depth about this issue so she only said briefly: "Everyone thinks she was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist a long time ago, but the awarding of the title must have a procedure and review. This time the theater filed a profile for her...". As for herself, artist Le Mai shared in a newspaper: "In general, for an old person like me, it is very happy. Up until now, it has not been possible, so I thought that it was not possible, there was no problem. With art, I consider myself lucky, my profession is drama but then suddenly I was invited to act in movies".

Year oldPeaceful old age of artist Le Mai

For many years, artist Le Mai has been living a peaceful old age in a small house on Phan Dinh Phung Street. Although she lives alone, she always shows joy in life and optimism.

She once shared: "It's because of good fortune, thanks to the blessings from my daughters. At my age, many people still have a lot of debt in life, but for many years I haven't had to worry about anything. My children all have successful, happy lives, and I don't lack money. If I can't even take care of myself, what else can I talk about?"

Talking about being single since she was just over 30 years old, she confided: "Sometimes I feel sad, but thinking back, I am so lucky to be like this. I went to see a fortune teller and they said that I had to live alone to be at ease. Thinking back, it was true. In the past, there was a period when I lived with my children, but then I realized that I should not bother my children's lives. I have to realize that when my children grow up and have their own families, they will not be able to live with their mother, just like I used to get married in Hanoi and leave my mother in Hai Phong. That is a debt of gratitude. When Vy first came to France, she called me and cried terribly: "You have followed me since birth, now you have left me alone, I love you so much", I had to scold: "Don't cry. Your husband has been in Vietnam for 10 years, does he cry?" - even though I was secretly crying inside".

Although she is a dramatic actress, in real life, artist Le Mai has a very close and humorous way of speaking. Listening to her tell stories, people laugh before she laughs. Simple stories become interesting through the stories of the kind-hearted old artist. "Her life is always filled with laughter. She trains herself to be optimistic, to let go, and not to be petty. When she went to see a fortune teller, the fortune teller said she would live a long life, and that her death would be as light as a dream. When she was alive, she was blessed with her children. Therefore, she has nothing to worry about or expect other than good health so as not to make her children suffer," said the artist of the movie "Grandma Doesn't Eat Pizza."

At the age of 85, artist Le Mai's wishes are still the same as when she was young. She really likes the verse (used since the age of 75, each year that passes just needs to change the number to be... current): "85 years old is not young anymore/I'm bored with life, bored with me/I just hope God and Buddha will give me health/To spend the last of my youth on films". She smiled wittily: "I don't have the peak like my children, so I won't stop to keep that peak beautiful. I will make films until I die".