On 15/8, Nguyen Thi Thi San, 32, posted a video of her husband eating on TikTok. Initially, the video had about 300 views, but after one day, engagement surged. Viewers continuously commented, calling him "Vietnam's Tom Holland", "Vietnamese Spider-Man", or "Spider-Man back home for dinner".
After two days, the video garnered over three million views, attracting 5,000 comments and thousands of shares. The couple's personal account grew from 20 to over 12,000 followers. "My phone kept receiving notifications, and friends sent me posts from various pages. That's when I realized the story had gone viral", Lam recounted.
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Actor Tom Holland (left) and Le Thanh Lam (right). |
Le Thanh Lam, 33, from Quang Ngai, currently works as a marketing manager for a company in Ho Chi Minh City. Previously, people occasionally remarked that he resembled a foreigner, but no one had ever linked him to actor Tom Holland, the British actor born in 1996, globally famous for his role as Spider-Man.
Initially, Lam thought viewers only saw a resemblance from a specific angle, so he took it as a joke. After reading thousands of comments, he compared photos and realized some of his facial angles and expressions bore a resemblance to the actor.
The attention on Lam surged just as the latest film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, was creating a global buzz in cinemas. The movie, which premiered in late July, quickly set box office records, reaching USD 2 billion in under three weeks, becoming one of the fastest-growing superhero films in cinematic history.
As his image spread widely, Lam began to be recognized by strangers. During one visit with his wife to a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, a diner approached them to say hello and wish them well. "I was both embarrassed and amused because I wasn't used to strangers recognizing me", he recalled.
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Le Thanh Lam and his wife, Thi San, in Ho Chi Minh City. *Photo courtesy of subject.* |
In late August, Lam received several collaboration offers, including a proposal from the media unit for the Spider-Man film, inviting him to portray Spider-Man in a promotional event.
He stated that he is considering suitable opportunities and is ready for the challenge. However, Lam does not want his resemblance to a celebrity to be the sole factor for audiences to remember him. "If I create social media content, I want the audience to gradually learn more about my personality and real life", he said.
His wife, Thi San, stated that the video was recorded spontaneously, without planned costumes or intentional staging. She initially did not know who Tom Holland was. Only after many people commented did she search for comparison photos.
"The most joyful thing is that people have embraced the story and opened up many new opportunities for us", San said.
Ngoc Ngan
