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Bored with walking: Phuong Trinh, 17, began her career on stage at the age of 10 playing a gamut of roles in city theatre productions. —VNS Photo |
Five-year-old Dang Khoi of HCM City, who has acted in many films and TV serials, says: "Being a movie actor is not my dream. I dream of becoming a doctor who takes care of poor women and children."
The most important things in his life are his parents, teachers and friends, he says.
Khoi, who took part in Nhat Tam Lasta Studios' actor training programme for children, has played leading roles in TV series like Giac Mo Co Tich (Legendary Dream) and Mot Ngay Khong Co Em (A Day Without You).
He is now shooting for the film Ve Dat Thang Long (Returning to Thang Long Citadel), a 40-episode work on Ha Noi's history and culture produced by HCM Television.
Like many of his friends, he enjoys watching films but never seriously thinks of himself an actor.
"I saw my son's acting ability and wanted him to join the field because it can make his life more joyful," Khoi's mother says.
But she admits that while her son laps up the adulation he gets from people who have seen him on the screen, his true interest is his family and friends.
Seventeen-year-old Phuong Trinh, who has been an actress from a very young age, retains a child-like innocence despite the accolades she gets from fans, colleagues and critics.
Five years ago, when a director needed a pretty child actor, his first choice was Trinh whose maturity then belied her age.
She had begun her career on stage at just 10, playing a gamut of roles in city theatre productions like Ba Me Nhi (The Little Mommy).
Her latest TV offering is Nhung Ong Bo Doc Than (Single Daddies), a sentimental, 30-part series produced by MT&Pictures.
"I like to act in movies and commercials," she says.
But she is wary of the ivory tower many stars are forced to occupy and wants none of it.
"I love acting in movies but do not want to become a lonely star."
She adds she prefers spending time with her parents and friends who mean everything to her.
Like normal children, she has to finish her homework every day and study hard.
Le Thanh, a theatre director at Nhat Tam Lasta Studios, says: "Most of my students are children and teenagers who enjoy acting for fun but not as a career."
Most of her young wards learn acting for at least six months before joining the industry.
"But the most important lesson I teach them is how to become a good kid. That's what their parents want." — VNS
