Veteran actor Trần Phương, who starred in Việt Nam’s classic film Vợ Chồng A Phủ (A Phủ and His Wife), passed away on Wednesday in Hà Nội, aged 90. Photo kenh14.vn

HÀ NỘI — Actor Trần Phương, who played the main role in Việt Nam’s classic film Vợ Chồng A Phủ (A Phủ and His Wife), passed away on Wednesday in Hà Nội, aged 90.

Phương, whose real name is Trần Đức Phương, was born on April 10, 1930, in the northern province of Thái Nguyên. He joined the resistance war against the French at the age of 16.

He was one of the first students of the People's Arts School that was established in the Việt Bắc war zone. He used to study drama, literature and Vietnamese traditional arts – chèo (popular opera) – with many renowned Vietnamese authors and actors like Thế Lữ, Đoàn Phú Tứ and Nguyên Hồng.

In 1955, he become an actor at the Vietnam Film Studio, which was later changed to the Vietnam Feature Film Studio.

Director Mai Lộc chose him for the main role as Phủ in the classic film A Phủ and His Wife. The film was produced in 1959 and is also the first film Phương participated in.

After that, he continued to take on many roles in films that became classics of Việt Nam’s revolutionary cinema such as the role of Khoa, husband of Tư Hậu in Chị Tư Hậu (Tư Hậu) in 1962, the role of Khiêm in Tiền Tuyến Gọi (Front Line Calls) in1969 or Lực in Vợ Chồng Anh Lực (Lực and His Wife) in 1971.

Along with his acting career, he is also the director of many successful film and TV dramas such as Mưa Rơi Trên Thành Phố (Rain in the City), Tội Lỗi Cuối Cùng (The Last Sin), Dòng Sông Hoa Trắng (The White Flower River) or Hy Vọng Cuối Cùng (Last Hope).

The Last Sin, produced in 1980, was box office phenomenon at the time, and brought Phương the Silver Lotus Award at the 5th Vietnam Film Festival.

He was awarded the title of People's Artist in 2001, the State Prize for Literature and Arts for Last Hope, Last Sin and The White Flower River in 2007.

"He is one of the most admired actors in Việt Nam’s Revolution cinema and also the brightest star of Việt Nam’s cinema during a golden time. His death is a big loss to the country's cinema," veteran director Đặng Tất Bình said. — VNS