Phuong Thanh: Painting Emotions, Acting with Depth
Translated from Vietnamese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Young actress Phuong Thanh takes on the challenging role of Han in the film "Anh Hung," portraying a conflicted 17-year-old.
- Thanh draws on her fine arts background, visualizing emotions as colors to deepen her character portrayals.
- Despite her "muse" image, Thanh aims for diverse, challenging roles, prioritizing character depth over social media fame.
Young actress Phuong Thanh is making waves in Vietnamese cinema with her compelling performance as Han in the film "Anh Hung." This marks her second major film role, following her debut in "Ut Lan: Oan Linh Giu Cua." Thanh embraces the challenge of embodying Han, a complex 17-year-old grappling with internal conflicts and family disputes, a role that places her alongside seasoned actors like Thai Hoa.
With her, the most important thing is to understand the character and live fully in their emotions.
Thanh acknowledges the pressure of sharing the screen with industry veterans but states her primary concern is achieving authenticity in her acting. She believes an actor's true measure lies not in self-assessment but in understanding and fully inhabiting their character's emotions. This mindset shift has helped her overcome the anxieties that clouded her initial role, where personal fears and expectations overshadowed her performance.
What sets Thanh apart is her unique approach to acting, influenced by her fine arts background. Instead of relying solely on theoretical analysis, she visualizes character emotions through colors, associating specific hues with feelings like despair or anger. This method allows her to transcend dialogue, focusing instead on subtle nuances like eye contact and pauses to create depth. "Fine arts taught me to observe the world, while acting taught me to observe myself," Thanh explains, emphasizing the shared foundation of emotion in both disciplines.
Fine arts taught me to observe the world, while acting taught me to observe myself.
While her delicate beauty has earned her the label "muse," Thanh aspires to transcend this image. She is actively seeking diverse and challenging roles, driven by a desire to explore the full spectrum of her acting capabilities. Her focus remains on honing her craft and delivering profound character portrayals, a strategy she believes will ensure longevity in the industry, rather than chasing fleeting online popularity. For Thanh, the true reward lies in the depth of the characters she brings to life.
The more challenging the role, the more I want to do it.
Originally published by Tuแปi Trแบป in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.