Who is Quyền Linh and where does he come from?
Quyền Linh, whose real name is Mai Huyền Linh, was born on 28/7/1969 in Châu Thành, Tiền Giang. He belongs to the generation of southern artists who grew up after the country was reunified, when Vietnamese cinema and television began to shift in their storytelling and production methods. He is widely known in two fields: film and television acting, and presenting.
Why is his path into the profession noteworthy?
In 1989, at the age of 20, Quyền Linh studied in the acting faculty at the School of Theatre Arts 2 (now the Ho Chi Minh City University of Theatre and Cinema). This was a period when art students in general did not have many ways to earn a living from the profession, so pursuing acting often came with expenses one had to manage on one's own. During his student years, he went through many difficulties, having to do many forms of manual labour to cover tuition and living costs, and he has spoken about this period with the image of being hungry yet still having to look bright in photographs.
That detail matters not because it is moving, but because it shows a fairly common pattern among artists of his generation: entering the profession through formal schooling, but having to hold on through many manual jobs before getting a first role.
What did the turning point of 1992 mean for his career?
In 1992, Quyền Linh won four awards in the Promising Film Actor competition organised by the Ho Chi Minh City Cinema Association. This was a competition aimed at discovering new faces, so winning several awards at once was a sign that he was highly regarded by professionals across different criteria, not just for a single role. Immediately afterwards, he was invited to take part in the film Khát vọng sống by director Nguyễn Đạt Hải.
Even so, opportunities to get roles that provided income remained very difficult, and at one point he had to leave Saigon and return to his home village to farm. In 1993, he took part in the film Thời đại đàn bà con gái by director Đinh Đức Liêm in a cross-dressing role, and because no one else accepted it he had the chance to take part. This says something about the reality of the acting profession in that period: an award from a competition did not automatically turn into income or a stable position, and many roles came to actors through gaps that others left behind.
How did the role of Lãm in Người Hà Nội change his standing?
In 1995, Quyền Linh made a strong impression with the role of Lãm in the film Người Hà Nội. This is regarded as the role that created a major acting mark in his career, and also the milestone that helped him move out of his early struggling period. From there, his acting career progressed favourably with many impressive roles in films such as Đồng tiền xương máu, Những nẻo đường phù sa, and Giao thời.
The significance of the role of Lãm lies in the fact that it tied his name to a work often mentioned within the strand of films about Hà Nội, while also opening a series of consecutive roles in both feature films and television films. For an actor who came out of a theatre school in the south, having a role that left a mark in a film tied to a Hà Nội setting was a turning point in his professional image.
Why did he switch entirely to presenting?
In 2004, Quyền Linh began working as a presenter (MC). At first, he intended to give up this work when the programme Nhịp sống sôi động did not succeed as hoped. However, the resounding success of the programme Vượt lên chính mình afterwards led him to almost stop acting in order to devote himself to presenting.
This is a noteworthy direction because it took place right in the period when Vietnamese television was expanding strongly in the number of programmes and viewers, when the role of the presenter became a profession with its own influence, no longer merely someone introducing acts. Vượt lên chính mình belongs to the type of programme tied to everyday stories and difficult circumstances, so the presenter plays an important role in keeping the pace and building trust with viewers.
How are his official recognitions and personal life recorded?
He was awarded the title of Merited Artist, a state title for those with long-standing contributions in the field of performing arts. This title is usually considered on the basis of activity and works, so it reflects both his acting path and his role as a presenter.
As for his personal life, in 2005, at the age of 36, Quyền Linh married Dạ Thảo, a businessperson in the fashion field. He is regarded as an artist who is devoted to his family, and at close to 50 he has a happy family and a strong career, and is loved for his sociability, friendliness and contributions to the community.
A distinction should be made between two kinds of information here. Milestones such as his year of birth, year of study, the 1992 awards, the role of Lãm in 1995, the point at which he moved into presenting in 2004 and the wedding in 2005 are recorded facts. Remarks such as being devoted to his family or being loved for his sociability are the way sources describe his public image, and are evaluative rather than verifiable facts.