People's Artist Nhu Quynh: When I found out my husband had cancer, I went out and was in turmoil.

After nearly half a century together, People's Artist Nhu Quynh and her husband - photographer Huu Bao - still maintain their romance, together overcoming serious illness and life's ups and downs.

Not allowed to collapse or cry to be a support for the husband

- What was so special and attractive about the role in "Human Trafficking Camp" that made you decide to travel from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City to film?

When director Toni Bao Anh invited me, I read the script in one sitting. This role was different from the ones I had played before - a mother who risked her life to go into a criminal's den to save her child.

I had to turn down another project even though I was chosen for the main role, to participate in this movie because I really liked the character in the movie.

A month before filming started, I went to Ho Chi Minh City to exercise and swim to maintain my strength and flexibility. I also learned how to fall and dodge properly to avoid injuries during filming.

People's Artist Nhu Quynh.

- At this age, still doing action scenes, is it too much for you?

Investing time and staying healthy enough to focus on a project is difficult at my age.

In the film, there were many scenes where I was slapped, beaten, and tortured. I tried my best both physically and emotionally to portray it as realistically as possible to the audience.

I've done ugly makeup many times before, but this is the most "bruised" feeling movie I've ever had.

Of course I know my limits. In addition to the main scenes, I still have stuntmen to support me in the action-packed, risky scenes.

- When you are away from home filming, how does your husband care for you?

The first time I went to the South to do physical training, I had an allergic reaction with a rash all over my arms and legs. When I returned to Hanoi, my husband saw me scratching and scratching and felt sorry for me. He was afraid that if the illness persisted, I would be distracted and have trouble concentrating on acting because this was a difficult role.

He was eager to take me to the hospital, see a doctor for treatment. Luckily I applied the medicine for a while and it improved and was completely gone.

- How is your husband's health - photographer Huu Bao - after his cancer treatment?

Last month, while traveling to Da Nang with my daughter, my husband suddenly lost his hearing and could not hear anything in both ears. When I returned to Hanoi, I took him to the doctor and fitted him with a hearing aid. He had also suffered from coronary artery blockage for a long time.

When I was away on business trips, the maid stayed close by to take care of him and prepare his meals. My second daughter and son-in-law lived nearby, so they could come over to help if needed.

His health is basically stable. The disease has passed the dangerous stage and is not a cause for concern. I advise my husband to relax, focus on eating, sleeping and enjoying life.

People's Artist Nhu Quynh and her husband when they first got married and when they were old.

- What do you remember most while taking care of your husband through his illness?

I still remember the feeling a few years ago, when my daughter and I took him to the hospital and found out he had lung cancer. When the interpreter translated the French doctor's words, I listened to a few sentences and then walked out.

My emotions were in turmoil, full of confusion and anxiety. I tried to calm myself down, not allowing myself to break down or cry to be a support for my husband, even though I was very scared at that time.

Doctors immediately performed surgery to remove a lobe of the left lung and injected chemotherapy and radiation to prevent the tumor from spreading. My husband responded to the treatment regimen and recovered quickly.

Since then, he has been regularly having check-ups every 3 months, and all his indicators are stable. He eats and lives normally, and even sleeps much better than me. In his free time, he takes the train home to visit his children and grandchildren.

Husband is still romantic and loving after 45 years of marriage

People's Artist Nhu Quynh and her children.

- 45 years of marriage with many ups and downs and events, how do you keep the romance in your life?

When we first fell in love, I found myself caring and showing more affection for my husband. But as he got older, he became more attentive and caring towards me. He often asked me about my health, my filming plans and new projects.

Sometimes, he says: "Do you want to eat anything? I'll go out and buy some." It warms my heart, making me feel like I'm still being loved and cared for like when I was young.

Romance is different for everyone, depending on age and living situation. We often joke that sometimes yelling and scolding each other is also a form of happiness for old people.

My husband and I are both from Hanoi, so we rarely argue or raise our voices. We prioritize peace and quiet. Partly because we are old and don't have the energy to argue like the young people anymore. (laughs)

Clip of People's Artist Nhu Quynh sharing about romance in married life

- What are your difficulties in your current job?

As I get older, I find it more difficult to learn scripts. There are parts that I have to relearn over and over again, trying to imagine how to act them out so that I can remember them better. When I am on set, I tend to lose focus because of the noise and chaos of crowded places.

I always put pressure on myself to learn my lines by heart. Every night before going to bed, I would read over the script, and when I woke up, I would continue studying. I wanted to form a habit, a natural reflex so that when filming started, every line would come out naturally and familiarly.

- Many of your contemporaries have retired or slowed down, but you are still working hard on the set. What helps you maintain your youth and passion for art?

I see acting as a way to satisfy my “addiction”. Over the years, I have acted in one film after another, trying many genres, never thinking about retiring.

After filming a few scenes for the new movie, I returned to Hanoi to participate in an experimental short film, then returned to Ho Chi Minh City to continue filming.

I still have ambitions and dreams of playing many types of roles, such as the image of a drug lord. I like villains who have inner depth and stories. Even though they look bad on the outside, they are still good people at heart.

Previously, I participated in training the first batch of actors at VFC. Hong Dang, Viet Anh… were my students.

However, I found myself not gifted in teaching so I gradually gave up. If there were extracurricular classes, I would rather attend and share my experience than teach according to the curriculum.

The timeless beauty of People's Artist Nhu Quynh.

- The artistic life of People's Artist Nhu Quynh seems very complete, are you satisfied?

Everyone looks at me and thinks everything is perfect, but only I understand my own wishes and concerns.

For example, now seeing young people playing romantic roles, I still wish I could be young again to participate. Life is like that, nothing is perfect.

Many people say that women in the arts are sacrificial, but I think differently. I am not a model or a beauty queen, so I don't have many choices and paths.

To be more exact, I don't have the ability to do anything other than acting so I have to focus on what I'm best at.

Photos, clips: HK, NVCC

People's Artist Nhu Quynh was moved to reunite with her on-screen husband after 50 years . Cine 7 - Memories of Vietnamese Films reunited the on-screen couple People's Artist Nhu Quynh and artist Viet Lien after 50 years, together reminiscing about the movie "Saint's Day".

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nsnd-nhu-quynh-chong-nhiep-anh-gia-van-lang-man-yeu-chieu-sau-45-nam-gan-bo-2445995.html