Introduction
Trường Giang is a Vietnamese comedian, television host and film director. He became known to audiences through reality television programmes and through his acting roles in many film projects. In 2026 he marked a new milestone in his career when he released his first film as director.
Why does a comedian move to the director's chair?
In the Vietnamese film market, an artist whose starting point is stage and television moving into film directing is not a rare path, but it is not an easy one either. A comedian is used to a fast rhythm and to the direct reactions of the audience in each sketch, whereas cinema demands a slower rhythm, a story built up over many layers. When such an artist sits in the director's chair, audiences often ask whether they have enough patience and maturity to tell a long-form story. For Trường Giang, the answer only came when his first film was released and was measured by the audience's own purchasing power.
Film career
After 5 years away from the big screen, Trường Giang returned with the film *Nhà ba tôi một phòng*, released during the 2026 Lunar New Year. In this project he took on three roles at once: director, screenwriter and lead actor. The film tells the story of Mr Thạch (played by Trường Giang), a single father raising a teenage daughter named An (Đoàn Minh Anh). The story revolves around petty conflicts and the awkwardness in the way father and daughter express their feelings, reflecting familiar slices of family life.
The film drew a lot of doubt from audiences when it was announced, because viewing tastes had changed during the 5 years he was absent. However, the film's revenue partly dispelled those doubts. On the evening of 27/2/2026, *Nhà ba tôi một phòng* reached the 100 billion đồng revenue mark, making Trường Giang a hundred-billion director right from his first work. The film held second place at the box office for most weeks of the Lunar New Year run.
Why is the 100 billion đồng revenue mark notable?
The figure of 100 billion đồng is itself a milestone, but what is worth mentioning lies in the fact that it is attached to a first work. In cinema, a first film is usually seen as an experimental step, where the director is still finding their voice and there is nothing to vouch for them with either investors or audiences. Reaching that level of revenue on the very first time in charge means the film overcame the initial barrier of doubt, and more importantly, it shows that a large number of viewers chose to go to the cinema because of the story itself and not only because of the name of the person behind it. The label of hundred-billion director also comes from here, as a way of recording what the market grants to someone who has just changed roles.
Are all accounts of the film equally certain?
The hard factual part of the story is fairly clear: the release timing, the revenue mark, the roles Trường Giang took on, and the list of participating actors. These details come from press sources and can be cross-checked. On the other side, remarks about the film's quality, such as the story being called somewhat old or excessively tearful, belong to impression-based assessment, reflecting the subjectivity of viewers and critics, and are not verifiable facts. Readers should distinguish these two layers of information: on one side what happened and can be measured, on the other how people feel about it.
Roles and assessment
As an actor, Trường Giang brings the image of a father who loves his child in an awkward way, often helpless before the inner world of a teenage girl. As a director, he tells a familiar story about family which, though described as somewhat old and excessively tearful, still has moments that touch viewers. Alongside him, the supporting cast including Đoàn Minh Anh, Lê Khánh, Anh Tú Atus and Như Vân help drive the storyline and reflect different perspectives on family and kinship.
In addition, the film also features guests from the television programme *2 ngày 1 đêm* along with many familiar faces, adding further appeal to the work. The film's music was also invested in, with three songs performed by Anh Tú Atus and a theme song about father-child love by singer Jack.
What does mobilising a guest cast and investing in music say?
Inviting a guest cast from a reality television programme that Trường Giang had taken part in shows that he makes use of an existing network of relationships in the entertainment industry, while also drawing in a portion of the audience already familiar with him from television. Investing in the film's music, with several songs performed by an actor in the film along with a separate theme song, is a way of creating an additional channel of reach beyond the cinema, because film music can spread independently of the film. These are production choices that show calculation on the market side alongside the content side.
Notable milestones
- Returning to cinema after 5 years away with the film *Nhà ba tôi một phòng*.
- Taking on the roles of director and screenwriter for a film project for the first time.
- Reaching the 100 billion đồng revenue mark with his first film, becoming a hundred-billion director.