Late on 1/9, many colleagues such as Quyen Linh, Huu Tien, Viet Huong, Hanh Thuy, Gia Bao, Hung Thuan, and Quach Tuan Du quietly visited Ngoc Trinh at her grandmother's house on Le Hong Phong street. Ngoc Trinh lived in an apartment not far from there.
The actress's coffin was placed in the center of the room, adorned with white and purple chrysanthemums and orchids. The family chose a photo of the actress in an ao dai (Vietnamese traditional dress), with a bright smile, for her portrait. Her mother, still in shock from the sad news, was unable to walk steadily and required constant care from relatives. She had just returned from the US a few days earlier, in time to see her daughter one last time.
Ngoc Trinh's younger sister and other family members took turns receiving visitors. Every so often, the sister looked up at Ngoc Trinh's portrait, her eyes filled with sadness, holding back her grief to manage the funeral arrangements. The actress was hospitalized more than a week earlier after collapsing at home. Before that, Ngoc Trinh had a video call with her mother in the US, complaining of feeling unwell. "But the family thought it was probably due to her busy schedule. However, her health deteriorated rapidly, and the family had doctors maintain life support so her mother could return from the US for a final visit, before she passed away on the afternoon of 1/9," her sister said.
During her life, Ngoc Trinh was private about her personal life, so her family wished to honor her wishes. Therefore, they requested visitors refrain from taking photos or videos. "My sister passed away peacefully," Ngoc Trinh's sister added.
The funeral was held without music, only with suppressed sobs, embraces, and quiet conversations among Ngoc Trinh's colleagues. Artist Huu Tien, her close friend of nearly 30 years, sat lost in thought under the eaves of a neighbor's house, amidst the increasingly heavy rain. He said, "I've taken Trinh to the hospital several times for her chronic stomach pains, but I still can't believe she's gone forever."
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Actor Huu Tien (right) updates colleagues about Ngoc Trinh's funeral. Photo: Tan Cao |
Actor Huu Tien (right) updates colleagues about Ngoc Trinh's funeral. Photo: Tan Cao
Huu Tien last saw Ngoc Trinh at the end of May. Recently, as she was working on her master's thesis about the play "Da co hoai lang" (The Nostalgia for the Past), they had planned to meet to discuss it, but he hadn't been able to arrange it. She even asked him, "Are you mad at me or something? Why won't you meet me?" Despite this, their conversations continued in their Facebook group chat.
10 days ago, Huu Tien found it strange when his messages went unanswered. Through her assistant, he learned about her declining health. He was told that Ngoc Trinh had fainted after walking in the courtyard of her apartment building and was rushed to the hospital. Shortly after, she was moved to intensive care and fell into a coma. According to her assistant, Ngoc Trinh didn't want to bother or worry anyone, "she only wanted friends to remember her at her best."
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Viet Huong (right) and Hanh Thuy at the funeral on the evening of 1/9. They expressed shock at Ngoc Trinh's passing. Photo: Tan Cao |
Viet Huong (right) and Hanh Thuy at the funeral on the evening of 1/9. They expressed shock at Ngoc Trinh's passing. Photo: Tan Cao
Friends and colleagues knew Ngoc Trinh had suffered from stomach problems for many years. She had to stop filming the sequel to "Mui ngo gai" due to her health. Recently, those who met her noticed she had lost a lot of weight, but her spirits remained high. Photographer Tran Duc Thinh said that in May, Ngoc Trinh called him to take photos for her 51st birthday. Seeing her again after a while, he noticed she was thin, but her enthusiasm for work remained strong. She chose five different outfits and constantly changed her hairstyle and makeup.
About two weeks ago, director Nguyen Thu Phuong met and dined with Ngoc Trinh. During their conversation, the actress shared her plans to stage a play and bring it to the US. At the time, she was learning eyelash extensions and even did Phuong's. "My last memory of Ngoc Trinh is of someone with a cheerful and optimistic outlook on life," Nguyen Thu Phuong said.
* Actor Hoa Hiep recounts his last meeting with Ngoc Trinh
Standing by the coffin, lighting incense, actor Hoa Hiep fought back tears. "I can't believe I have to say goodbye to my senior colleague like this," he said. They both starred in the popular 2006 drama "Mui ngo gai," and audiences often "paired" them together.
According to Hoa Hiep, their last meeting was on 15/8 at the Hong Van theater, where Ngoc Trinh sought professional advice for her master's thesis. He noticed she was much thinner than before, and when he asked, she said she was "exercising a lot to stay in shape." He advised her to take care of her health and not be careless. Ngoc Trinh chuckled and said, "I'll try to look fuller." They then filmed a fun video together, planning to post it on TikTok.
Hoa Hiep was one of the close colleagues who knew about Ngoc Trinh's health condition since her hospitalization. However, respecting the family's wishes, he couldn't share the information with anyone or visit her as she was in a coma. "The feeling of helplessness at not being able to share what I knew with anyone, the fear of receiving bad news, and the shock when it actually happened was terrible," Hoa Hiep said, wiping away tears.
His biggest regret was not being able to take Ngoc Trinh out to eat as promised. They also planned to reunite everyone for a revival of the play "Mua bong may" (Shadowy Rain), along with other joint projects, but none of it came to fruition.
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Ngoc Trinh at her eyelash extension course graduation ceremony in early August. Photo: Facebook Pham Thi Ngoc Trinh |
Ngoc Trinh at her eyelash extension course graduation ceremony in early August. Photo: Facebook Pham Thi Ngoc Trinh
For several weeks, Ngoc Trinh had been on summer break from teaching. She focused on personal projects and hobbies like jogging, filming travel and food vlogs. Her last update on her personal page was on 18/8, a playful video with friends. A close friend said they made another video that day, and Ngoc Trinh was still lively and cheerful. Two days later, he learned she had been hospitalized. A few days before, Ngoc Trinh had taken her father to Nui Ba, Tay Ninh.
Before her passing, Ngoc Trinh had many plans and aspirations, the biggest being to defend her master's thesis at the end of the year. "Trinh had already submitted her topic to the university and was just waiting for the defense date, but now it's no longer possible," Huu Tien choked up. According to Hoa Hiep, she was also about to finalize procedures to visit her mother in the US, but everything was left unfinished.
Ngoc Trinh's funeral procession will take place at 2 PM on 4/9. Her remains will be cremated at the Binh Hung Hoa Center.
Pham Thi Ngoc Trinh, born in 1974, came from a family without an artistic background. From a young age, she loved cai luong (Vietnamese reformed opera) and idolized artist Ngoc Huyen. While studying at the Theater Arts School 2 (TP HCM), Meritorious Artist Bach Lan—then director of the City Youth Theater—invited her to join the troupe, playing leading roles in plays like "Hoai Thu cua toi" (My Hoai Thu), "Nu sinh" (Schoolgirl), and "Hoa thien ly tren cao" (Heaven's Rangoon Creeper). She was a member of the 135 Theater, 5B Theater, Idecaf Theater, and Tran Cao Van Theater.
Besides stage acting, Ngoc Trinh also acted in television series and worked as an MC for TP HCM Television. She gained popularity for her role as Vy in the joint Vietnamese-Korean drama "Mui ngo gai" in 2006, a turning point in her career. Afterwards, she participated in staging many plays and television dramas such as "Chi co the la yeu" (It Can Only Be Love), "Ke noi doi da tinh" (The Multi-Loving Liar), and "49 ngay yeu" (49 Days of Love).
The actress won a Gold Medal at the 2012 National Professional Theater Festival (for her role as Be Ba in "Doi nhu y" (Life as Desired)), the 2014 Mai Vang Award (for directing "49 ngay yeu"), and the 2005 Mai Vang Award (for her role as Xang in "Trai tim nhay mua" (Dancing Heart)). In 2019, she was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist.
In 2009, Ngoc Trinh married Korean film producer Kim Se Hyuk. They later divorced. She continued acting in plays and films, while also participating in game shows as a judge and producer.
Actress Ngoc Trinh, as Vy, acts alongside artist Thanh Loc in a clip from "Mui ngo gai" (released in 2006). Video: YouTube Pops TV Viet Nam
Tan Cao
