Movie and TV series featuring models and beauty pageant winners are becoming standard fare to Vietnamese viewers. With their exceptional acting skills, some fashion models like Anh Thu, Thanh Hang, Vu Thu Phuong and Trang Nhung are now highly sought-after by movie-makers.
“When I sign a contract for a movie project, I often negotiate to still have time for night fashion shows,” said Vu Thu Phuong, who played an extra in the film Shanghai released last year starring John Cusack and Gong Li.
“But now I am too busy with my shooting schedule to join fashion shows organized outside the city. It is quite a pity.”
Similarly, Thanh Hang, a top model in high-profile fashion shows, has recently put her modeling career on hold to focus on her role in the movie Model, a Vietnamese version of the popular Korean series.
“It’s such a pity that I couldn’t participate in many recent fashion shows, as I have quite a busy film schedule to keep,” said the long-legged model.
Quynh Thu, who was voted the favorite contestant at Vietnam Model Awards 2008, has left the catwalk for a year as she was too busy with her acting career in six movies. Thu said she had to keep pace with one movie after another and has no time for fashion shows. Afraid that she cannot manage the double role of model and actress at once, Thu chooses to put fashion aside to make room for her new passion for movies.
With more and more models leaving the catwalk to appear in movies, fashion shows in 2011 will be noted for the conspicuous absences of the big names. The top-notch models, however, have reasons to prefer playing a role in front of the movie-camera to posing in a photo shoot.
“Acting is a lot harder than modeling but the reward is also higher, that is, a more stable source of income,” said 23-year old model Nhu Thao, who was in top 10 Miss Vietnam World 2007.
“Thanks to acting in movies, I could earn enough money to support my parents and sister at home. If I “toil” hard in the film industry for 2 years, I can buy an apartment, a car,” added the beauty who came from the southern province of Ca Mau.
“If I accept a role in 2 movies, working with them over a period of 2-3 months, I can buy an apartment and a decent bike. That’s why this year I’m giving priority to movies,” said My Linh, who was crowned Miss Vietnam Photogenic 2006 and is also actively participating in many movies.
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Model Anh Thu (L) in the film "Tuyet nhiet doi" (Tropical Snow)
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Model Nhu Thao
