Actor Song Luan tanned his skin and learned jazz dancing when playing the character of the "number one playboy" of the old South in the movie "Cong Tu Bac Lieu".

The actor said that after accepting the invitation from director Ly Minh Thang, he carefully studied how to get into character. The biggest challenge for Song Luan was his appearance, because the character had a tanned appearance, while his skin was quite light.

In the early days, he sunbathed but the results were not as expected, his skin tone was uneven, not achieving the required tan. After that, the director used professional tanning methods. He turned down many other projects because he had to maintain his appearance throughout the filming.

The crew focused on portraying the image of the "Bac Lieu prince" in two factors - proficiency in French and dancing. Song Luan spent 4-5 hours a day studying with a French teacher, focusing on accents in his lines and the filler words that people in the past often used. He studied the gestures and body language of the early 20th century aristocracy, such as how to kiss hands and cheeks.

The character studied abroad in the West and loves jazz, so Song Luan spent many days learning to dance with experts. According to the actor, 1930s jazz dance has a liberal, rebellious style. He mastered the basic techniques, then took advantage of the space and props on set to improvise in musical scenes, according to the director's request. "At that time, I almost lived with the character, only using a 'brick' phone to limit social networks, focusing on the role," he said.

Song Luan and his crew went to Bac Lieu to meet the family of the prototype - Mr. Tran Trinh Huy (1900-1974) to learn more about his life. From there, he heard many little-known stories about him. According to the actor, the anecdotes of "burning money to make sweet soup" and "the first Vietnamese person to own a private plane" can make many people have a negative view of the character. "His relatives told me that in the past, the 'Bac Lieu prince' lived a life full of emotions, did not distinguish between rich and poor, and was willing to help people of low status," he said.

The producer nurtured the project for three years, spending 10 revisions before completing the script. According to the director, the project was licensed by the People's Committee of Bac Lieu province to film in order to contribute to promoting local culture. The film was shot at a number of famous relics and landscapes such as the house of the "Bac Lieu prince", Cao Van Lau Theater (Bac Lieu city), and the salt fields of Dong Hai district. The unit combined with the film design team Miss Saigon to recreate the setting and costumes of the early 20th century.

Song Luan, 33 years old, real name Nguyen Truong Sinh, started his career as a singer. In 2016, he had his first role in a movie. Iron Box . In 2018, he played the main role - Tam in The Flip Side: Three Disabled Men (Directed by Ly Hai), then gained attention through TV series Descendants of the Sun, Apple Blossom . In 2023, he played the male lead John in Mrs. Nu's house, Tran Thanh's movie with a revenue of 475 billion VND. Besides acting, Song Luan recently returned to music, participating in Hi drunk brother - reality show for young singers.