Thanh HiếuActress Thanh Tu was born in 1975 in Hanoi into a family with a tradition in the arts. Both her parents are cai luong artists, so from a young age, she followed her family around various performance venues, singing and doing odd jobs like selling gasoline, selling food to earn extra income.
Graduating from the Hanoi Arts School, Thanh Tu worked at the Cai luong Theater before joining the Youth Theater. Her first role in "Gặp nhau cuối tuần" ("Meeting on the Weekend") helped her get closer to the audience, earning her the nickname Tú "cháo lòng". Since then, the actress has been often associated with the image of a tough, feisty woman.
Thanh Tú (right) and NSƯT Võ Hoài Nam in the movie "Món quà của cha" (Photo: VTV).
At nearly 50 years old, Thanh Tu is still hardworking, participating in many TV and film projects. She shared with Dân trí reporters, "I feel fortunate to have caught the eye of directors. Because the older I get, the fewer opportunities I have for roles.
Furthermore, there are many actors nowadays, each with different acting qualities, so directors have many choices. If I am invited to a film, especially for a character role, it is a good opportunity and I always strive to perform," she revealed.
The actress said that she often plays characters with a fierce and sour personality, so many people are surprised to find out that she is easy-going and cheerful in real life.
"People assume that my personality off-screen is also fierce and intimidating, so they are very cautious. Some partners have said they were afraid to meet me for the first time, but then many express their surprise because they didn't expect me to be so kind," Thanh Tu said.
Thanh Tú feels lucky to be invited to various TV roles (Photo: Toàn Vũ).
Thanh Tu is currently working at the Youth Theater and she is proud to work with talented young actors at the theater such as Nguyệt Hằng, Lương Thu Quỳnh, Thanh Sơn, Lương Thu Trang, Ngô Lệ Quyên, Đàm Hằng...
"We do not compete with each other because everyone has their own area. They do more TV shows, but when they come back to the theater, they still follow the leadership's regulations.
They might be TV 'stars' but when they perform, they still receive a fee of 200,000-300,000 VND per show without complaint because we understand how the income is in the theater.
Although we are stage actors, we have a lot of interaction with TV, so our skills are improved. Whenever I introduce myself as an actor of the Youth Theater, I am very proud," she confessed.
Thanh Tu said that although she is not rich, the acting profession provides her with a stable life, allowing her to provide for her children and herself. She also has no intention of quitting the profession.
Regarding not having received any awards, Thanh Tu said she doesn't think much about it because receiving awards involves many factors such as seniority, medals... "There are festivals where awards are given every 4 years, but sometimes the play I'm in does not have a role, so I always think that I am not fated to receive awards," she shared.
The actress also does not hesitate to talk about her private life. She has been divorced from her ex-husband for 10 years now, and they currently see each other as friends. They parted ways because they couldn't find common ground, not because of any major conflicts.
"When I was younger, I craved for love, I wanted my husband to care for me but it didn't happen, so we separated for 6-7 months, our feelings faded, and then we parted ways. I still believe that the decision to divorce was the right one because I didn't want my children to witness their parents being indifferent and have distorted views on happiness," she explained.
When asked about "taking the next step" with a wealthy man or a tycoon to be taken care of, Thanh Tu bluntly said: "It seems like I'm not suited for tycoons. I've met many tycoons, even gave them my phone number, but when I got home, I deleted their number. Tycoons have no meaning to me because their money is not mine.
Perhaps I've had many negative experiences in life, so I'm averse to the term 'tycoon'. My life today is the result of my choices, I haven't met people with means.,"
Thanh Tú performing on stage (Photo: Provided by the character).
Currently, Thanh Tu is happy that she can still live with her profession. She is more relaxed now that her eldest daughter is married, and her second daughter is obedient and loves her very much.
She said: "My children always encourage me to find a husband. They say, I have to fall in love to become more easy-going (laughs). At this age, I don't expect much in romantic love, but there will be friendships, soulmates... However, if fate comes, I am still ready to welcome it. I believe that if we call each other 'husband' and 'wife', we have to take responsibility for each other."
