Actor Hua Vy Van says he works hard, especially for a difficult character like his latest role – a tragic king

A young actor matures in his new role as a tragic king.

Not the least of the complicated issues is the historical drama’s plot.

In Tran Thu Do, Ly Hue Tong (1194-1226, born Ly Sam), the penultimate ruler of the Ly Dynasty, is overthrown by the Tran family headed by Prime Minister Tran Thu Do.

As the story goes, by 1224 King Ly Hue Tong had become mentally ill and appointed his seven-year-old daughter Ly Chieu Hoang as his successor as he had produced no male heirs. Once Hoang was crowned as Vietnam’s first and only empress, Tran Thu Do launched a coup and consolidated power in what became the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400). In a last act of cruelty, Do tracked down Sam, who had moved to a pagoda as a monk in his last years, and induced the retired emperor to commit suicide in 1226.

Van, now shooting the 30-episode series directed by Dao Duy Phuc, said that playing such a conflicted and tragic character has been difficult, especially amid the shoot’s crazy travel schedule, which has taken the cast and crew up and down Vietnam and all the way to Zhejian Province, China over a six-month period.

“I’m quite worried as the king is psychologically unstable because he came to the throne as a child. The lines in the film are long and difficult,” said Van, who starred in last year’s hit Saigon Love Story. “It’s a special, tough role.”

But Van has a lot of support from his costar, Duong Truong Thien Ly – second runner up at Miss Universe Vietnam 2008 and the People’s Choice Award winner at Miss World 2008 – who plays King Ly Hue Tong’s wife in the film.

The king in love

“I’m happy acting alongside Ly. I became a big fan when she performed at the Miss World pageant last year. I adore Ly’s style – I always like modern girls.”

Ly plays Tran Thi Dung, a cousin of Tran Thu Do who must marry him after the Trans take over the country following Ly Hue Tong’s suicide. “Ly’s beauty makes her perfect to play Tran

Thi Dung, a beautiful and intelligent woman. I’m trying to put myself into the role as much as possible, so I’ll be in love with Ly until the film finishes,” Van joked.

Perfectionist

While it’s easy for the up-and-coming star to get into his roles, he also admits to sometimes throwing tantrums if things don’t go his way.

“People can say what they want about my talent, but I’m a perfectionist.”

Ceaseless passion, commitment and effort are what Van said have enabled him to adjust and earn the respect of critics after turning to acting from a career in modeling and singing. He said newspaper critics used to really hurt his feelings when he first began, but not anymore.

“I’m not hurt anymore. I know my responsibility and I know right from wrong. I like to read constructive criticism about my roles and films to help improve my acting skills. Acting is a long road.”

The Smurfs, created by Pierre Culliford, are part of a comic book exhibition running in Ho Chi Minh City until June 20

Reported by Thanh Trung