Thanh Hoang's wife: "Before he passed away, he held my hand and told me to take care of our two children."

On the evening of July 26, the small house of the late artist Thanh Hoang on Vo Thi Sau Street (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City) resounded with the sound of prayers. The artist passed away that afternoon after a difficult time of cancer treatment. In the corner of the house, Ms. Dao - the late artist's wife - wiped away her tears in the comforting arms of relatives and artists. She still couldn't believe that her husband had passed away. "He died so suddenly," she said tearfully.

Artist Thanh Hoang at the premiere of the film "Da Co Hoai Lang" - adapted from the famous play he wrote.

Thanh Hoang's illness began a few years ago, starting with a sharp pain in his jaw. After going to the doctor, he discovered he had a tumor in his neck. The disease gradually became more severe and spread to his liver, gallbladder, pancreas... During his last treatment, the doctor predicted that he would live another month. Unexpectedly, his condition progressed even faster, and just a week later, he passed away.

Despite the pain, Thanh Hoang remained optimistic and tried to heal himself to reassure his wife and children. During the radiation therapy, every time he felt better, he forced himself to sit up and write a script. In the last months of his life, because he was so tired, he stopped writing to recuperate. The late artist's wife shared that he had followed Buddhism since childhood, and every time he was tormented by illness, he would chant a few sutras to gain the spirit to overcome the pain.

Thanh Hoang's wife in the comforting arms of an acquaintance. Photo: Mai Nhat.

Thanh Hoang and his wife got married in 1997 and have two sons. The eldest son, now 20 years old, is studying in the US in the field of construction. When he heard the news of his father's death, he held back his tears and encouraged his relatives over the phone, then booked a one-way flight to return home to see his father one last time. The youngest son will soon follow his brother to study in the US. Seeing Ms. Dao crying while welcoming visitors, her youngest son walked over and hugged his mother, encouraging her to eat some porridge to regain her strength. Thanh Hoang's youngest son is 18 years old this year, tall and slender, with fair skin and a handsome face. When guests complimented her son on his resemblance to his father, Ms. Dao smiled: "The eldest son looks even more like him."

Many of Thanh Hoang's friends came to his house to see him for the last time that night.. Meritorious Artist My Uyen - director of the 5B Small Stage Theater, where Thanh Hoang once worked - ran to his house in shock when she heard the sad news. Once the theater director, after stopping working, Thanh Hoang continued to contribute many valuable scripts to this theater. My Uyen and the late artist had more than 10 plays together. "He still kept his passion for theater and movies until the end of his life," she said.

With red eyes, director Hong Dung - vice president of the Ho Chi Minh City Theater Association - said that she still has vivid memories of her close colleague - an energetic, active person with a standard acting style. Hong Dung and Thanh Hoang used to study at the same University of Theater and Cinema, she took a directing class, he took an acting class. She has known about the late artist's illness for three years now. There were times when the artist was healthier, she saw him diligently performing and writing because his literary "blood" had never run dry. She said that perhaps because he was too greedy for work, when he needed to rest, he rushed to work, so his illness progressed faster. "Before he closed his eyes, he was still very optimistic. Thanh Hoang had predicted his passing, but he probably didn't expect it to happen so quickly," Hong Dung said sadly.

Thanh Hoang acted with Huu Chau in a movie in 2017.

The funeral for Meritorious Artist Thanh Hoang will take place at 8am on July 27 at Le Quy Don Funeral Home. The funeral will take place on the morning of July 29, after which the artist's coffin will be cremated in Binh Hung Hoa.

Artist Thanh Hoang was born in 1963, in a poor family of five siblings. In 1984, he graduated from the University of Theater and Cinema in Ho Chi Minh City, working at the Phu Nhuan District Cultural Center. He actively participated in mass cultural activities, acting and staging many plays. Due to his serious appearance and demeanor, since his twenties, the actor has been successful in playing old and big roles in foreign classical plays.Nostalgic Night- the play he wrote - had more than 1,000 performances, winning four gold medals for four actors at the 1995 National Professional Theater Festival.