Actor Bao Tri: Beaten by his stepmother, dipped his hands in boiling water, owed debt for the pleasure of "buying gold to play"

Artist Bao Tri is a familiar name to many Vietnamese audiences, especially southern audiences. But behind the glory are many ups and downs, events of life and profession.

Beaten by stepmother, dipped in boiling water

Artist Bao Tri had a terrifying and tearful childhood that he still dreads every time he recalls it. Born into a wealthy family in Saigon, his father is a doctor and businessman, artist Bao Tri is the 11th son in a family of 12 siblings.

Parents divorced when Bao Tri was young, the first 10 siblings lived with their mother, Bao Tri and the youngest sister Hong Lan lived with their father and stepmother. Because she was too young, Bao Tri did not know that it was her stepmother, but thought she was her biological mother.

At first, the two brothers Bao Tri were also loved by their stepmother, but when she had a child of her own, the two brothers' lives seemed to fall into hell.

Dad went to work, at home, both brothers were beaten mercilessly by their stepmother, forced to dip their hands in boiling water, and ordered their father to continue beating. Bao Tri is a strong son, so he can still resist after many times of pain, but his younger sister is weak, so she has to put her hands in boiling water.

It wasn't until a few biological brothers came over to play that this was not his biological mother, but only his step-aunt, that Bao Tri knew the truth.

Bao Tri went back to meet his biological mother, but every time he heard about it, the father would go to his ex-wife's house to disturb and beat her, making her afraid to let her children go home much. Even Bao Tri's father did not let his son call his biological mother, but called her "guest lady".

Around the age of 10, Bao Tri's father felt uncomfortable with this cohabitation, so he sent his son to an acquaintance's house in Long An to raise him. At first, Bao Tri's father sent money, they raised them carefully, but every time they forgot to send money, they sent Bao Tri to his uncle's house.

This uncle has a difficult situation, so every time Bao Tri's father sends money, they feed him, if he doesn't send money, he will starve.

Once, a boy was starved for 5 days in a row and then "gained" a 20-liter can to sell bottles to get money back to his mother. Bao Tri sold that can and bought a bus ticket to the city with his mother.

After climbing 6 stairs at his mother's house, Bao Tri fainted because he was hungry for too long. Living with his biological mother for a while, his biological mother forced Bao Tri to return to Long An to live with his uncle's house so that his father would not make it difficult. The boy stayed in Long An for a while, looking for ways to live independently.

It was not until after liberation that Bao Tri followed the singing troupes to close his tearful childhood. At this time, Bao Tri returned to live with his biological mother and also started a life of "rice in the river market" of a provincial artist.

As for the stepmother, she later took her biological child to cross the border and disappeared without any news. Bao Tri's father had a stroke and died in the late 1990s.

Borrow money to buy gold to play and then struggle to repay the debt

Artist Bao Tri has been passionate about singing since childhood. His artistic journey has undergone many changes from reformed to comedy. To do that, Bao Tri had to be flexible and learn so that his career path could be extended. Behind Bao Tri's always cheerful, easy-going, simple man hides many arduous life stories and career stories.

Bao Tri started his career with public roles. At the age of 16, the male artist followed his teacher Cai Luong and gradually conquered this art through many provincial singing troupes.

After many years of wandering, he was looking forward to performing in the city troupe, but found that he did not have a predestined relationship. Once, Kim Tu Long invited Bao Tri to the city delegation, to be the main couple - the main clown.

"But when Kim Tu Long and I went to a reformed group, there were already doubles, there were clowns. They only chose one. People invited Kim Tu Long but didn't choose me. Because to tell the truth, people did not choose me at that time. I don't know how I act, I just carry the name of a clown of the provincial troupe", artist Bao Tri told in the program Where Happiness.

Later, Bao Tri traveled with many troupes and accumulated a lot of experience. From a stand-alone role, he moved to a clown role and then to the main clown.

When he was young, Bao Tri said he was very excited and did not know who to fear. "For example, today I performed in this group, when the pregnant woman refused, I quit and went to another group. At that time, I went to sing but I could never receive my salary, because I contributed to play.

Many times when I go to the province, seeing that people have gold but I don't have it, I am also proud. I borrowed money to buy gold to play and then got into debt, I had to contribute some money to pay the debt. But in the rainy season I couldn't sing, where I had no money to contribute, I sold gold. Finally into a vicious circle. Because I was single then, I didn't think about the future," he recalls.

In the 1990s, the comedy scene flourished in Ho Chi Minh City, Bao Tri combined with a colleague to form a group to perform. In his heyday, he said he once received 15 shows a night.

Over 40 years in the profession, Bao Tri has experienced many roles, from Cai Luong plays, comedy skits to plays. But for him, his favorite role is the role of Huynh Cong Ly in the play "Tao Quan Le Van Duyet". Thanks to this role, he was nominated for the Golden Mai Award and the Golden Cu Neo award, but he did not have the grace to receive the award.

However, in his career with more than 40 years of work, artist Bao Tri also "pocketed" many awards. That fate began when he returned to the theater of Saigon Opera, replacing Tan Hoang in the play "Ghost Revenge". This role brought him his first gold medal in 2016 at the Theater and Drama Festival in Hue.

Then there was a silver medal at the Cai Luong Festival, a gold medal at the 2020 Public Security Theater Festival and a silver medal at the Capital Theater Festival that same year.

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