Thuong Tin: ‘I left the city to go back to my hometown because I was bored of living’

On the afternoon of March 29, Thuong Tin said he was surprised when the news broke on social media that he had passed away. The artist said he was sleeping when he received dozens of phone calls to verify. The actor and his wife and children have returned to their hometown in Phan Rang, Ninh Thuan since Tet, and have not returned to Ho Chi Minh City until now. He said: “I went back to my hometown because I lived in the city and didn’t know what to do to earn an income. Over the past year, I have not received an invitation to act in a movie.”

At the end of last year, after recovering from Covid-19, he was asked by a benefactor to do this shipper for this person’s restaurant. After working for a month, he resigned because the job was not suitable for his physical condition, and his leg still suffered from sequelae from the last time stroke early last year. The actor moved out of the old motel in District 12, owed a few months’ rent, but was begged by the innkeeper.

After two months of returning to his hometown, the artist said that although his life is still precarious, he is more comfortable than living in the city. Thuong Tin gave up his old phone number and replaced it with a new sim to avoid contacting some old acquaintances. From time to time, he took a bus to visit friends and colleagues in neighboring provinces, reviewing memories of a time when he was busy with movies in the 1980s. The actor said: “Wherever the consolation is, the audience recognizes me, There were people who were skeptical at first because they didn’t think I would appear here, then happily chatted and asked to take a commemorative photo.”

Thuong Tin moved back to his hometown because he wanted Bui Thanh Thao – his daughter – to live in a more open space. The actor said that when she was in Ho Chi Minh City, her eight-year-old daughter was sometimes sad because she only lived in a 20-square-meter motel room and could not go to school because the epidemic was still complicated at that time. Back home, she has friends of the same age. He said: “She is very smart, her studies were interrupted for a while, but now she can keep up with her classmates, can read and write fluently. She is very energetic, perhaps also because she knows that her family situation is difficult. harder than friends”.

* Thuong Tin talks about her eight-year-old daughter

The artist wants his daughter to follow the film career. He often teased his son as a “future director” because he often asked his father to act. Every time he comes home late, his daughter scolds him: “Daddy’s late coming home today”, then “punishes” him for acting out a play he thought for himself, then let him go to bed. He said: “Daughter is my comfort in old age. Now, I do not wish for much, just have a regular job to raise children.” He plans to apply for a job at a local television station and open a small grocery store, leaving his wife to manage. The actor also said that if he was invited to act, he would arrange to return to Ho Chi Minh City alone because “still passionate about acting”.

Taking advantage of his idle days, Thuong Tin sketches out his second memoir. He said that recently, a writer in Hanoi contacted him to discuss the idea of ​​​​writing a book. Other first book – released in 2015, mainly exploiting his love life, the actor wanted more books about his attachment to the stage and screen. He plans to tell a behind-the-scenes story centered around roles that make his name, like Sau Tam (Saigon Special Forces), Major Luu Ky Vong (Backstroke flip gamble), bandit general Bach Hai Duong (Hunting robbers – SBC)… He also wanted to spend a few chapters sharing his acting experience during his 40 years in the profession for young actors. In the near future, the actor will go to Hanoi for about 10 days to start working on the publication.

Thuong Tin Born in 1956, studied at the Saigon National School of Music and Drama. Initially, he joined the Cuu Long Giang Theater Company and then Doan Kim Cuong. At Doan Kim Cuong, Thuong Tin co-starred with “Queen” Kim Cuong and became famous through many plays that made a strong impression on the audience such as: The Lace Rose, The Abyss of Height, The Legend of Mother, Tanhia...

Thuong Tin in “Saigon Special Forces”

Later, he participated in cinema and made his mark in Backstroke flip gamble, SBC, Saigon Special Forces, Half-moon battlefield… In 2015, Thuong Tin released a memoir A stormy life.In the book, in addition to recounting his life ups and downs, he also recounted his love experience with many beautiful people in the entertainment industry for a while.

In February 2021, the artist was hospitalized for a stroke, and some colleagues called for donations. At that time, the artist Trinh Kim Chi – close juniors – deduct a part of money to buy insurance package for Thuong Tin on behalf of Thuong Tin. At the end of 2021, Thuong Tin and his wife wanted Trinh Kim Chi to hand over the remaining balance to a bank savings account, taking interest to pay school fees for their daughter. She agreed to hand over the money, asking him to write a commitment to use the money for the right purposes.