A few days before Getting Rich with Ghosts officially hits theaters, Hoai Linh spent about 30 minutes answering questions from the press. This is a rare time the artist “willed” to sit down and talk about his time in hiding, and his return to the silver screen after many years of absence.
After the events, Artist Hoai Linh said that currently, he lives happily and comfortably, not caring about gains and losses in life. The biggest problem that Hoai Linh has to face is his declining health. In addition to the insomnia that has plagued him for the past 20 years, the artist has also undergone two chemotherapy sessions due to metastatic thyroid cancer.
“Everyone has their time”
– What made Hoai Linh decide to return to the big screen after many years of hiding?
– I have worked with the producer through the projects Gia Gan, My Nhan and Gang To before. Therefore, when I received the invitation to act Get rich with ghosts and knowing Trung Lun was the director, I agreed, even though I didn’t know what my role would be.
| Hoai Linh returns to cinema after many years of hiding. |
– How do you feel on the day you come back?
– Maybe it’s the same for all of us. When we eat porridge for a long time, eating rice again feels very delicious. My feelings right now when I return to filming are the same.
– Besides joy, are you nervous and pressured?
– Honestly, I’m not nervous. But Trung Lun is nervous. It’s my first film. My biggest pressure is to try to innovate. Before, people often saw me act comedy more. This is the rare time I play a tragic role, so I have to change.
– Trung Lun said that with this project, he has changed a lot. Typically, he no longer reacts to the director on set like before. Does this change stem from the fact that he understands that his current position is no longer the same as before, or from another reason?
– In the past, there were scenes that required a stuntman, but I refused. Instead, I did them myself. Back then, I was quite stubborn. Later, people were concerned about the safety of the actors as well as the progress of the project, so they often assigned those scenes to the stuntman. On set, Trung Lun asked me to do this and that. I also tried to follow the request, for the overall result. The most important thing is to bring the best film to the audience.
After a long time of not acting, when I come back, I will try harder. Moreover, this effort is also for Trung Lun. We have known each other and worked together for decades. This is also Trung Lun’s first film, so I have to try to listen to “him” and restrain my personal voice.
– Are you worried that personal scandals will affect the revenue of your colleague’s first film?
– Talking about revenue, everyone really wants it. For example, when writing an article, everyone hopes that their work will reach as many readers as possible. Me too. Not only the project Get Rich with Ghosts, I always hope that all Vietnamese films will be supported by the audience, have high revenue, and be released in as many foreign markets as possible.
– Your recent films like Men gai mien Tay, Dich ton doc dac…, their revenue is not good. If we say that Hoai Linh has run out of luck with cinema or is no longer a box office star, would you feel sad?
– What projects are recent? If you say Men gai mien Tay, it’s not right. Because that project hasn’t reached the level of a movie. I only played a cameo. If you say previous movies, I can only confirm that compared to that time, the revenue is high.
– Regarding comments like ‘Hoai Linh is out of date’, how do you respond?
– Everyone has a time limit. No one sits in the same place forever. Just like you. If you sit in the same place in the office, there will be times when you have to stand up to get a drink of water. When others are tired, they will sit down on the same chair. That’s normal. When the bamboo is old, new shoots will appear.
Now, if producers need young, handsome main roles, they will choose actors like Tuan Tran. No one chooses me. But if directors need to choose old roles, I will be in the main line.
“I rarely go to the cinema to watch Vietnamese movies”
– During your time in hiding, did you watch Vietnamese movies?
– No. I rarely go to the movies. Sometimes when I go into the theater, I’m afraid the audience will find out and distract them.
– Why doesn’t an actor go to the cinema to watch movies, while the film market and audience tastes have changed every day over the years?
– Even though I don’t watch many movies, I still listen to the situation and update information about the film market through the press. I am very happy that many Vietnamese movies have high revenue.
As for audience tastes, I think directors and producers have already explored everything. I just need to respond to them. As an actor, I spend time researching characters. I don’t choose roles to keep up with the market. Only when the film is produced by me do I have the right to choose roles.
– These days, filmmakers and audiences are discussing the Quyen Linh – Hoai Linh battle, especially since both projects Getting Rich with Ghosts and Hai Muoi are about father-son love. As someone involved, what do you think?
– People still forget the detail that Quyen Linh and Hoai Linh are the same age. (Laughs).
Quyen Linh and I used to perform together a lot on Phuoc Sang’s stage. Later, when the stage closed, we didn’t have the chance to work together.
Personally, I think this is not a competition. Why don’t people say Vietnamese films compete with foreign films? Why does it have to be a competition between two Vietnamese films? Audience tastes, they will watch whichever film they like. If there are no more films, they will watch both, no problem.
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| The artist said that in addition to the insomnia that has plagued him for 20 years, he has also undergone two chemotherapy treatments for cancer. |
– Besides Trung Lun’s Getting Rich with Ghosts, in the past few years, have you received any other invitations to cooperate from directors and producers?
– I don’t want to accept many more. Since I stopped doing game shows, I think I need to do something that suits my age. I’m 56 now, I can’t just go on game shows joking, shouting, and jumping. If there’s a show about preserving culture, I’ll accept it.
People often say I’m going back to film. No, I’m still making films. I’m just taking a break to find a role that suits me.
Besides movies, I still act in plays and reformed operas. I also participate in performances at provincial stages.
“I still have insomnia for the past 20 years”
– How has your life been since the incident?
– If I don’t go to play rehearsals or performances, I often find my own entertainment such as catching fish, shrimp, cutting grass, taking care of bonsai and birds. As for eating, I’m very simple, still eating braised fish and fish sauce. My mother still scolds me all the time because I often eat things that have no nutrition. But that’s my personality, if something isn’t delicious, no one can force me to eat it.
If I don’t have to do anything outside, I stay at home for three days straight. At those times, my mother often opens the door and asks: ‘Are you still at home? Why don’t you go out instead of lying down and rotting away?’. At this age, I’m lucky because I still receive a lot of attention from my mother.
– What did you do during the 3 days you locked yourself in your room?
– Oh, sometimes I just stay upstairs and don’t go downstairs. After I eat, I lie down and surf Facebook, YouTube, watch clips about raising birds, taking care of bonsai, etc.
– Are you feeling better now?
– Now, I can control everything else, except insomnia, which is difficult to treat. This disease has been with me for more than 20 years. Before that, due to performing a lot and changing my lifestyle, insomnia lasted until now.
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| Hoai Linh said that currently, he feels happier and more comfortable. |
– You haven’t performed much in the past two years. Has your insomnia not improved?
– No, exactly. These days, I start sleeping at 2am. Before, it was 4am. But I still have to take sleeping pills every day. My doctor still recommends limiting it. So, I only take half a sleeping pill before going to bed.
– Previously, you shared about having thyroid cancer and having surgery. How is your health now?
– I’m much better now but I have to maintain regular check-ups and take medication for the rest of my life.
(While speaking, Hoai Linh showed the reporter a photo after a previous surgery, with a long incision on his neck)
I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer 4 years ago during a general check-up. During an ultrasound of my neck, the doctor found an abnormality and recommended surgery. At that time, the thyroid cancer had already metastasized. I hid the information from my family and decided to have the surgery a few days later.
Luckily, after the surgery, there was no scar left. I also underwent two chemotherapy sessions at Cho Ray Hospital.
– After what you have experienced, what do you think about gains and losses in life?
– I feel happy and relaxed. When I have free time, I take care of the garden, birds, and ornamental fish. About the gains and losses in life, I think spiritually. What God has placed here, it is difficult to move it to another place. No matter how hard I try. I can only try to build up the place to avoid landslides and falling into a hole.
In short, as long as the audience still loves, the artist can still live.