Truong Minh Cuong: 'I was penniless after moving to the US to start a business'

Actor Truong Minh Cuong, 46 years old, said that when he immigrated to the US, because of wrong investments, he lost everything and his marriage later broke up.

The actor attracted attention when he returned with Ly Hai's Lat mat 7 after 12 years away from the entertainment industry. On this occasion, he talked about his chance to return to film and the difficult period when he moved to the US.

- How did the character Hai Khon - the successful son in the film - make you feel sympathetic when you played the role?

- My role is the eldest son in a poor family, my father died early, and I, along with my mother, shouldered the responsibility of raising my younger siblings. Later, after getting married and having children, he was busy making money, and his marriage was not happy. Being fired from his job at middle age, he unintentionally put pressure on his own family, causing his wife and children to become increasingly distant.

I found myself playing the role of Hai Khon because my life had many similar events. I also lost my father at an early age, helping my mother work and sell to raise my younger siblings. Growing up, for a long time, I was depressed because of failure at work, sinking into crisis.

Actor Truong Minh Cuong became famous in the 2000s with the TV series Wind Against the Season and Path of Change. Photo: Character provided — Actor Truong Minh Cuong became famous in the 2000s with the TV series "Gio Nghiep Mua" and "Loi Xu". Photo: *Character provided*

- What do you remember about that period?

- In 2010, my wife and I immigrated to the US. At that time, I was at the peak of my career, earning $68,000 for a 30-second commercial, many directors invited me to act in movies, and my career was wide open. However, I gave up everything to start over.

However, the American dream was not what I had imagined. From being a sought-after artist, with a driver picking me up at home, I had to do everything myself. I graduated from Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, but when I came here, I had to leave my degree behind to take courses in directing and show production. Not fluent in English, without a driver's license, and suddenly changing my environment, I suffered a great psychological shock.

When I first arrived, I worked as an MC and TV host. I received a salary of about 3,000 USD but had to do everything, from writing the script, setting up the filming set, contacting guests to taking care of costumes and make-up. I also invested in some items such as restaurants and real estate in California. Due to my lack of experience and not understanding the market well, those projects failed and I quickly lost everything.

Truong Minh Cuong (plain shirt) co-stars with Viet Anh in the movie — Truong Minh Cuong co-starred with Viet Anh (in a striped shirt) in the movie "Wind Against the Season" (2009). Video: *HTV*

- How did that incident affect your family?

- Apart from the things that are affected by circumstances, I think most of the fault comes from myself. The failure of my business affected my small family. After about 9 years in the US, my wife and I divorced, and my two young children went to live with her.

In the early days after the breakup, I was disoriented. There were days when I sat on the beach for hours, pondering my choice. I gradually fell into depression and had to see a doctor. There were times when I thought I had no more strength to maintain my job. Finally, I realized that the biggest failure was not being able to overcome myself. I gradually did not allow myself to give up for my mother and my children. I wanted to stand up to realize where I was wrong and try to live a better life. This may have come from my stubbornness since I was young.

- How is your life in America now?

- Recently, I sponsored my mother to come to the US to live with me. I mainly do business exporting goods from Vietnam. Occasionally, I fly to visit my two children in Florida, my son is 14 years old this year, my daughter is 11 years old. I always keep in touch with my children even though I know that as they grow older, they want to have their own private lives.

At the age of 46, I still try to work to improve and perfect myself. In the past, I lived impulsively, recklessly, doing whatever I wanted. Now, I know how to consider and think more carefully than before, and think more about others, probably because I was "beaten" too much (laughs). For 12 years, I had a great inferiority complex because I was a failure. Therefore, I refused many invitations to come back, until I received a phone call from Ly Hai.

Truong Minh Cuong with his children in the US in 2021. Photo: Character provided — Truong Minh Cuong with his children in the US in 2021. Photo: *Character provided*

- In what circumstances did you accept to participate in Lat mat 7?

- Last year, Ly Hai suddenly called the US and asked me if I could return home to act in a movie. The next morning, the director sent me a script and asked me to immediately act it out on video. It was a scene where the character was at work and received news from the doctor that his mother had passed away. I was quite confused because I was in a crowded coffee shop at the time, so it was difficult to get the mood to act out a crying scene. However, I knew this was a rare opportunity to act in a movie, so I tried to push my emotions. Luckily, when he saw the video, Ly Hai nodded and invited me to join the project.

Soundtrack of the movie "Flip Side 7" (Truong Minh Cuong at minute 4:28). Video: *LH Production*

- Looking back at the peak of your career, what do you think?

- After many events, I realized that fame and money cannot stay with me forever, the important thing is to keep my body and mind at peace. I just hope to do what I am doing, which is acting and living the best life possible. The profession has given me so many things, from someone who knows nothing about movies to an actor who has reached the top. I went around, experienced many failures and then came back, continuing with my passion. Even though I only have my first movie role now with Lat mat 7 , I don't think it's too late. As long as I am still loved by the audience, I will never leave acting.

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