Ngoc Xuan: "I want to keep my feet on the ground"

A young amateur actor won the only award of Vietnamese cinema at HANIFF VII for the first leading role of a name still unfamiliar in the film industry: Ngoc Xuan. How did the actor playing the role of Mien feel when he heard his name called?

I must say that I was very surprised because this is my first film and the nomination list has many strong candidates. From the moment I accepted the role until I finished all the scenes, I put the audience at the center and devoted everything I had to the role of Mien. Therefore, my biggest expectation is still to leave an impression on the audience rather than dreaming of an award at an international film festival.

The first step on the path to conquering my dream has been recognized, this is a great motivation for me. I will constantly strive to develop myself, persevere with the chosen journey, keep my heart full of emotions, my imagination flying far and my feet always touching the ground.

- Ảnh 2. — *The girl we chased together that year.*

In the famous book " The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly " by writer Luis Sepúlveda, "a novel for young people from 8 to 88 years old", there is a sentence: "Only those who dare can fly", without the opening parenthesis: "still have to keep their feet on the ground" as you just said. Why is that opening parenthesis necessary, is it making things difficult for yourself?

I really don't mind doing something different from myself, on the contrary, I enjoy it and have the opportunity to understand myself better when I see myself changing a little bit each day. I see myself as an onion, with many different layers and I have to peel each layer off, and the tool to peel it off is that I will meet this person, that person and have experiences, twists and turns in life; or when I meet a role that is similar to me, enough for me to empathize with and different from me, enough for me to want to conquer it, like Mien.

Who did you get your first acting lessons from? Which instruction do you remember most?

The teacher who gave me my first concepts about acting was People's Artist Hong Van (a student majoring in Professional Communication - RMIT University Vietnam who also studied acting at Hong Van Drama Theater - PV). The lesson she gave me was about confidence. Before that, I was a very self-conscious girl, not only about my appearance but also lacking confidence in my inner strength. Her words of encouragement motivated me to step out of my shell and love myself more, thereby looking at the world around me more calmly and gently.

When playing the role of Mien, did you feel pressured with the similar image in the novel/film "Mat Biec " by Nguyen Nhat Anh: the Dutch girl through Truc Anh's acting? The two "muses" have quite similar fates and appearances, how did you create the difference in acting?

I am not pressured in this. Through the pen of Mr. Anh, the two stories have different developments and messages, the surrounding world and the inner world of the characters are also different. Besides, I believe that with life experience, empathy, and imagination of each actor, it will lead to a unique approach and expression of the character, which is difficult to duplicate with anyone else.

I am very happy to take on the role of Mien - a girl with deep soul and intense emotions inside, in contrast to her gentle and quiet appearance on the outside.

After the first beautiful impression, many actresses known as the pearls of Vietnamese cinema have been "nailed" by their own "specialty", even disappeared, especially when Vietnamese cinema currently does not have many "youth school" type films. Do you think you have the ability to escape the role?

I hope my next role will have more psychological depth and a wider range of emotions. I have always been curious about human emotions when standing between life and death or struggling with psychological/mental trauma. Hopefully in the future I can take on heavy roles like that.

- Ảnh 4. — *My hobby of reading books helps me and Mien get closer.*

Coincidentally, recent Vietnamese blockbusters are all films with a lot of everyday, rough material, lots of noise and drama. What bright door is there for a "muse" with an "otherworldly" beauty to enter that world?

I find myself interesting because of the contrast between my seemingly "gentle" appearance and my strong personality inside. Besides, my life material is also very diverse because I grew up and observed many different environments. What I need to do is to enrich my life experiences and expand the range of emotional expression.

I understand it's a challenge, but I'm a "mountain climber", I will persevere to conquer as many peaks as possible on this journey.

What are the similarities and differences between Xuan and Mien?

Mien is a girl with a very strong emotional flow and has concepts about love and life that go beyond her context and time. In order for Mien to have that worldview, writer Nguyen Nhat Anh gave Mien access to Mr. Giao Duong's bookshelf and it was this love of reading that brought Mien and I closer together. I believe that a person's inner world is built not only by family or things they observe in daily life but also by the literary works they learn/read.

Besides those deep emotions and inner feelings, Mien also attracted me by the bravery of a girl who always has to be more mature than her age, like a guava that is forced to ripen (I was also called "the old man" because of my thoughts that are too big for my age). All of the above things urged me to want to try, especially for my first time in cinema.

There is an interesting detail in your "resume": In addition to the Communication major you studied at RMIT University, you are also particularly interested in Food Photography, why? Is there a connection between the way people present a dish and the way an actor dissects a role?

During my time studying abroad in Australia, still majoring in Communications, I worked as a waiter at a buffet restaurant in Melbourne and had the opportunity to observe how people produce beautiful images from those parties to promote their products/services to their big customers and partners. Food photography is indeed an interesting art form and has more or less given me an idea of the acting career that I want to pursue and stick with.

When I cook or present a dish, I first need to know who the diners are, what they like, what they need, and when they will want to eat this dish. The first essential thing is to find the right ingredients and how to combine them; then when putting it on the stove, should I use high or low heat first, when to add more water or reduce the water… I need to put in effort, care, and always think about the people I will serve. But on the one hand, I have to be happy first, with the whole process of making that dish, from choosing the ingredients, preparing and refining…

I find those things quite similar to finding material for your character. First, you need suggestions from the chef (screenwriter, director), then add your own touches, enrich your own materials, to create habits and a unique life for the character. No matter what kind of dish it is in a restaurant or what kind of movie a character is in, the way it is presented must first make diners want to eat it, viewers want to learn about it, the first impression is there. And finally, the role when created must be eaten, just like the way a character is born must be lived.

- Ảnh 6. — *Ngoc Xuan's memorable appearance in Once Upon a Time There Was a Love Story.*

Possessing a pure natural beauty - a "rare commodity" in an entertainment industry with too many edited faces, how do you deal with that "asset" of yours? Are you willing to take on a role where appearance is not your strong point?

As someone who cares a lot about beauty both inside and out, I understand that if you want to be beautiful, you have to invest. Where to invest? From time, effort, will… and money. Depending on the person, the investment will be different.

As for me, I work hard to have a healthy body, spend time learning about the beauty industry... The most important thing is that the motivation for self-development must come from myself. For me, people who are confident, steadfast on the chosen path, understand what they need, want and are doing will be the ones who shine and attract me the most.

With roles that are not beautiful (according to the majority's opinion), I am still willing to transform, as long as her story contributes to the beauty of the film's value.

How do you think a pure outlook on life will help a young person enter life: either easily taken advantage of and hurt; or will they be optimistic enough to stand up and move on?

A clear outlook on life helps young people gather a lot of spiritual material, but it does not mean that they are easily "led by the nose". Being taken advantage of or not depends on each person's choice.

Your definition of love?

Love to me is "like a natural thing that was planned".

The girl with pure beauty is now "taken"?

I have an owner. It's me, no one else!