On 25/8, Hanoi Police announced actress Kieu Thanh's arrest for illegal drug trafficking. To fund her drug use, Thanh sold drugs to addicts for profit and regularly gathered to use them at her home.
Earlier in mid-August, artist Trung Hieu, director of the Hanoi Drama Theater, where Kieu Thanh worked for many years, stated that she submitted a resignation letter on 15/7. Her reasons were family circumstances and health issues that prevented her from continuing her work. The theater's leadership agreed to terminate her employment contract on 17/7.
Before her involvement with drugs, the actress had a long artistic career, starring in numerous films and television series, and was dedicated to the Hanoi Drama Theater. She was born in 1981 in Kham Thien, Hanoi. During high school, she initially planned to pursue a teaching career, following her family's tradition. After graduating from high school, Kieu Thanh and some friends applied to the Hanoi Academy of Theater and Cinema and were unexpectedly accepted. With her sharp features and expressive face, she quickly caught the attention of directors.
In 2001, while in her second year of university, director Do Thanh Hai cast Kieu Thanh as Tra in the film "Phia Truoc La Bau Troi". The character was an unfortunate sex worker. Although it was a supporting role and not present throughout the film, she made a mark with her portrayal of the gritty character. After the film aired, Tra became one of the most memorable characters for audiences, and the nickname Tra "Cave" stuck with her for many years.
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Kieu Thanh (left, as Tra) in the film "Phia Truoc La Bau Troi". *Photo: VFC* |
In 2002, director Le Hoang invited Kieu Thanh to participate in "Gai Nhay", initially intending to cast her as the lead dancer, Hanh. However, she ultimately played the role of journalist Suong. Subsequently, the actress took on other challenging roles, including the flirtatious Ms. Hen in "Thuyen Nan Giua Dong", timber boss Loan in "Khi Dan Chim Tro Ve", and journalist Quy in "Nhat Ky Chien Truong". The characters she portrayed often had strong personalities and complex inner lives.
Kieu Thanh's most recent role was Dung in "Hoa Hong Tren Nguc Trai", a sharp and calculating woman. This character orchestrated Tra (Luong Thanh) to sabotage Thai and Khue's family as an act of revenge. Following this production, she did not appear in any new film projects.
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Kieu Thanh at the press conference for the film "Hoa Hong Tren Nguc Trai", 2019. *Photo: VFC* |
On stage, she performed numerous roles, including the protagonist in "Ngoi Sao Lac Troi", Hanh in "Dien Thoai Di Dong", An Trinh in "Cat Bui", Hoai in "Loi Nguyen Ke Mo", and the lead female role in "Ha My Cua Toi". In 2015, the actress was awarded the title Meritorious Artist.
Beyond her professional life, Kieu Thanh was quite private about her personal affairs. In 2019, at the press conference for "Hoa Hong Tren Nguc Trai", she first revealed having a son and living with her boyfriend. According to her statements at the time, her boyfriend had not yet finalized his divorce from his ex-wife. This revelation drew significant criticism from the public. Following the event, Kieu Thanh gradually reduced her appearances in artistic activities.
Ha Thu
