Everything comes at a price.
- Recently, when interacting with the audience in Da Nang, you shared that you were very handsome when you were young. In the past, people assumed that to be an actor, you had to be handsome. I wonder if People's Artist Bui Bai Binh was handsome enough to make many girls 'fall' in his youth?
It’s just a funny story because not only tall boys and pretty girls can work in the arts. When we were in the second acting class of the University of Theatre and Cinema, we had many different beauties.
The beautiful female friend plays the role of a noble lady, a country girl who is very suitable for the role of a village girl. The male friend is the same, tall, handsome, plays the role of a rich young man, has a haughty face, and specializes in playing the villain. Only a person with a lisp and crooked mouth cannot be an actor.
People's Artist Bui Bai Binh and Meritorious Artist Minh Trang.
- Why did you decide to become an actor?
Coincidentally, in 1972, when Hanoi was bombed by the US, I evacuated to Ha Dong. At that time, I was only in 8th grade and bored, so some friends invited me to take the actor audition at Hoang Hoa Tham. I thought it was just for fun but I accidentally passed. Before that, I had no intention of becoming an actor because no one in my family was in the arts, my father was a worker and my mother worked in a cooperative.
My parents were against it, but luckily my four older sisters loved the arts, so they encouraged them to let me study acting. Because in the past, when I entered the Academy of Theatre and Cinema, I had to cut off my household registration and gather at school, only being able to go home once a week on Sunday.
- And until now, do you think your choice was right?
To become an actor, you need three factors: talent, training, and opportunity. Because of talent and hard work, if people don't invite you to act in movies or don't find suitable roles, you have to change careers. My class size was over 20, but 4-5 people dropped out.
After graduating, in 1977, I returned to Vietnam Feature Film Studio and immediately received my first work from director Pham Van Khoa. During the casting exam, I was at the same table as him, so when making the film "Ken Son-in-law", the director searched for a humorous actor with two buck teeth at the Film School and sent an assistant to invite me to audition.
Daily life images of People's Artist Bui Bai Binh.
- You said you had to grind down your buck teeth to play the role of Uncle Ho in 'The Prophet', but thanks to that buck tooth, People's Artist Bui Bai Binh got his first role. Did you have to think twice before making the decision and did your wife Ngoc Thu object?
Actually, I had to pull out one tooth and grind down another to play the role of Uncle Ho when I was over 50 years old. I thought I was old enough, I didn't need a crooked tooth anymore to take on the role. My wife didn't object because as actors, we understood each other's specific jobs very well. She said: "If you like it, you have to sacrifice. Nothing comes to you as smooth as velvet. Everything has a price."
- In nearly 50 years of acting, besides the time you had to grind your teeth for a role, have you ever had to 'sacrifice' for a character like that?
It would be a bit too much to say that I sacrificed for a role because it was not a big deal. However, I admit that I was very lucky to have worked with most of the veteran directors and received all the main roles from the time I graduated until the 1990s. Back then, it was very difficult to get a main role. There were artists who worked their whole lives without getting a main role or receiving any awards. Only 4-5 people in my class received an acting award.
Poor wedding, candy had to be 'begged' from Ms. Tra Giang and Mr. Lam Toi
- Who are you in class with?
I studied with Minh Chau, Phuong Thanh, Vu Dinh Than, Thanh Quy, Huu Muoi.... My wife is also an unlucky person despite being beautiful. In her film career, she only played a few short roles, the most famous being Ut Tich in Mother Away from Home.
- I wonder if it was luck that Ngoc Thu met Bui Bai Binh or luck that Bui Bai Binh met Ngoc Thu? In what circumstances did you two meet?
No one can answer that (laughs). We were born in 1956, studied in the same acting class and met at the film school. The group of friends, all from Hanoi, would take the train home from Buoi on Saturday afternoons. My house was at the To Hien Thanh intersection and Thu’s house was at Cho Gioi. On Sunday afternoons, we took the train to school together. It was fate, but I had no intention of marrying a colleague.
- Studying in the same class, when did you two start falling in love?
We fell in love around 1975 - 1976. The school was very strict and had a rule that no dating was allowed while studying. But whoever loved whom, everyone knew, depending on the relationship, they would forbid it. We had a pure relationship, nothing was secretive so there was no obstacle.
People's Artist Bui Bai Binh and his wife - actress Ngoc Thu.
- There are so many pretty students in class, why did Bui Bai Binh only choose Ngoc Thu?
That's what fate is. She's not the prettiest in class, not as pretty as Phuong Thanh or Thanh Quy, but she's the oldest of five siblings. I admire Thu because she's hardworking and diligent. I can't imagine girls from the posh Hang Ngang or Hang Dao, and they don't love me.
- You two have been in love since school, when did you get married?
In 1981, we decided to start a family. At that time, the wedding was very poor. I had to ask for things from the aunts, uncles, and actors in the Film and Drama Group, which consisted of about 50 people, such as Ms. Tra Giang, Mr. Lam Toi... Each person received a monthly allowance of several packs of candy, kilos of sugar... all of which were put towards our wedding.
The wedding ceremony had some candy, melon seeds, cigarette packs... inviting everyone to join in the fun, simple but gentle, very warm! The congratulatory gifts were thermoses or enamel basins, and someone even gave us a set of baby diapers brought back from the Soviet Union. In 1982, we had our oldest son and used that set of diapers.
Cooking, washing, I do everything.
- What helps maintain your marriage for more than 40 years from the time you were poor until now?
One is to get along, two is to know how to give in, and whatever you do, you have to think that you still have a family. Life is hard and miserable, but you have to share it, if you think it's too luxurious, it won't work. We had two sons, one in 1992, one in 1997. Back then, actors' salaries were very low, so there was no money.
In 1990, I had a house on To Hien Thanh street and I took a risk to sell coffee. At first, I only opened half of the house, the other half was covered with curtains for living, but then there were many customers so I decided to remove the bed inside. And yet we managed to maintain the shop for 30 years. Now it's over because the children are grown and I'm getting old.
- An actor's happiness is to be able to work. You still get roles regularly but I don't. Seeing your husband go to work, does your wife at home feel sad?
She really wants to act in movies, but she doesn't fit many roles like Minh Chau and Thanh Quy. She doesn't stop or think about it. At this age, you have to be healthy and passionate to make movies because this job is hard, working from early morning to late at night, only sleeping for half an hour at noon, and eating only boxed meals.
The income is not much, just some money to make fun. I was also invited to do commercials but because I did not know the origin of the product, I did not accept. I endured a little but was calm and not worried about anything.
People's Artist Bui Bai Binh and People's Artist Lan Huong.
- Recently, you returned to the screen with the role of Mr. Thanh, a motorbike taxi driver in 'Small Path to Life' and Mr. Toai in the movie 'Our Family Is Suddenly Happy'. Which character is more like Bui Bai Binh in real life?
Actually, I like Mr. Thanh because he fits the role of someone with a difficult life. In real life, I am funnier than Mr. Toai in the movie, but the difference is that I do all the work from cooking to washing when my wife is away.
- Many people say you are only suitable for miserable roles, can't you play happy roles?
I am not suited to the role of an official or a police officer, but I have played a villain before. That was the role of the most despicable person in the countryside in Kinh Village Wind and Village Ghost, and both were successful.
(Source: Vietnamnet)
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