The secretive wife of 35 years keeps the happy marriage of 'Provincial Party Secretary' Dung Nhi burning

Behind the success of artist Dung Nhi is the shadow of a caring and loving wife. Although Mrs. Binh does not appear in public often, she is always her husband's "right hand" and accompanies him through the ups and downs of life.

Proud to be called "artist Dung Nhi's wife"

She believes that the root of happiness in marriage lies in the woman. The happiness of the family lies in the woman's diligence, tolerance and generosity. "A woman is the flame of a happy marriage. It's easy to say, but it's not easy for a couple to live together in harmony. As a woman, we must know how to give in, know how to respect each other, and then the family will be peaceful," Ms. Binh shared.

During the years working together on the film crew, Ms. Tran Thi Binh and artist Dung Nhi built a close friendship. From this relationship, they gradually developed feelings for each other and decided to be together for life.

The bond and fruit of that beautiful love are two obedient and successful children. Her daughter is currently a hairdresser in the US, while her son is a film actor and ballet choreographer in the country.

Currently, she has both grandchildren. “I don’t have any secret to raising children. But I believe that parents are the role models for their children. That’s why my children see their parents living happily and learn from them,” Ms. Binh confided.

She believes that men are like baskets, and women are like the baskets that cover them. In a family, there must be one person to hold and one person to close the basket, then happiness can be preserved for a long time.

In addition, she also expressed her pride in her husband when people referred to her as “artist Dung Nhi’s wife”. She did not feel inferior or disadvantaged compared to her husband, but on the contrary, she felt proud and lucky to be the wife of such a virtuous and talented person.

“My husband is an extremely lovable person. He is gentle, hard-working and loves me very much. In return, I also pamper, love and take care of him,” Ms. Binh shared.

Although they are in their seventies, the couple is still cheerful, happy and enjoying their old age together. Every day, they wake up early to exercise, have breakfast and drink coffee together. At every meal, they both go into the kitchen to cook and prepare delicious dishes for the family.

One-time hair stylist for film crews

Born and raised in Hanoi, Ms. Binh gradually absorbed the quintessence and culture of old Hanoi. Born in 1956 on Hang Bac Street - at a time when the country was still in turmoil due to war, this helped her develop perseverance, sensitivity and the ability to adapt to all circumstances.

Many people in Hanoi during the subsidy period knew Mrs. Binh’s hair salon on Ba Trieu Street. At that time, most artists and film crews had their hair done and styled by her. “Since I was a child, I loved meticulous work that required dexterity, such as cooking, embroidery, sewing… Then when I grew up, one day I asked my father to let me learn hairdressing at the shop next to our house,” Mrs. Binh shared.

At that time, Mrs. Binh’s neighbor on Hang Bac Street had a hair salon that was quite busy. Every day, watching the hairdressers meticulously curl and style their customers’ hair, Mrs. Binh had a dream that one day she would open her own hair salon like that.

That's why Mrs. Binh begged her father to let her apprentice at the hair salon next door. With the hair salon owner's consent, she happily apprenticed and was willing to work regardless of the time, even though she wasn't paid a single penny.

In 1970, the entire staff of the hair salon had to evacuate when the enemy attacked fiercely. At that time, Ms. Binh did not evacuate with everyone else and was “given the right” to run the hair salon by the owner.

“For the first time, I had full control over my clients’ hair from the smallest step to the final product. Many clients were surprised by my skills even though I was very young at the time,” Ms. Binh shared.

Those compliments and encouragements were a great motivation for her to pursue her passion. Then in 1972, when her skills were mature enough, she officially opened her own hair salon at the age of 17.

Her hair salon on Hang Tre Street was one of the few hair salons in Hanoi. Then, in 1983, her hair salon moved to Ba Trieu Street.

Thanks to her skillful craftsmanship, her hair salon attracted many people from the upper class and artists to get their hair done.

Many film and art crews even invited her to do makeup and hair for actors in the 1970s. Thanks to that, she was invited by directors to play some supporting roles.

For hairdressing actors and artists in film crews, the aesthetic and formal requirements will be different from those of ordinary people.

“The film crews require the actors to have their hair styled to suit their roles. The film Old Hanoi follows a simple style and acting style, so creating hairstyles for the actors is not difficult,” Ms. Binh shared.

Most of the roles that artist Dung Nhi plays in films have strong support from Mrs. Binh - his wife who is not only his support but also his hair stylist, ensuring that he matches the character model that the director requires.

In particular, in the role of Provincial Party Secretary Kim Ngoc, artist Dung Nhi portrayed an image that matched the character's style and demeanor.

From appearance to style, Mrs. Binh has played an important role in helping him accurately express the spirit of a leader with vision and strong temperament. The combination of Dung Nhi's acting talent and his wife's care for his appearance has made this character's image a success.

Notably, she is also the only person allowed to do hair for former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh. Up to now, she has been doing hair for former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh for more than 30 years.