Reporter: How do you know Congress Dean Phillips?
Actor Woody Harrelson: I met Dean 8 years ago. I guess it was when I did a movie in Minnesota called Wilson. I stayed at his house. He let me rent his house. He did it with niceness. I got to know him then. I have never got on well with a landlord but I got on very well with him and I realized right away that he and I were going to be very good friends through our lifetimes.
    |
 |
|
Hollywood star Woody Harrelson |
Reporter: Why did you join this trip with him?
Actor Woody Harrelson: We all came here to bike around North Vietnam and he also told me that he was going to do this for his father. I was very excited and privileged to be a part of this because this is such a momentous occasion in his life. He said he had never felt so fulfilled and so deeply moved. It was really a wonderful thing.
Reporter: What do you think about the people, the landscapes and other things in Vietnam?
Actor Woody Harrelson: As Dean mentioned, a lot of people in my country think of Vietnam as a war, but it’s a country. And it’s a country full of beautiful, warm, and welcoming people with smiles. When we were biking around, and everybody yelling hello, smiling and so kind. We stopped in a village and we played volleyball with people there. We had the most wonderful trip. I got to say it was a really moving important experience for me.
Reporter: Did anyone recognize you?
Actor Woody Harrelson: Sometimes, not as much as in other places, but it was great because you know, as an American I’ve always had deep conflict, emotional conflict about what America did here in this country and they gave the excuse of the domino theory to halt the spread of communism. They gave the same excuse in Korea where 4 million people were killed, mostly civilians. And here 2.9 million, mostly civilians, 57,000 Americans. It was such a sad thing.
I don’t know why but I always have a feeling of attachment to Vietnam although I have never been here before. So this has been like a real fulfilling and important experience for me too.
|
|
 |
|
Hollywood star Woody Harrelson (left) and Congressman Dean Phillips during the visit to Vietnam this March |
Reporter: What is your deepest impression during this visit?
Actor Woody Harrelson: My deepest impression is of the people, of the children. You know I’ve always thought that the measure of a place is its people and the people here are as warm, wonderful and kind as those in anywhere I’ve been in the world. I feel so connected to Vietnam and I can’t wait to come back here. Dean and I were already talking about trying to get back here.
The level of forgiveness, and kindness, and sweetness of the people is amazing to me.
Reporter: Do you have any intention to film in Vietnam in the future?
Actor Woody Harrelson: Well, I don’t know about that but I do hope it will happen.
Reporter: Thank you very much!
Interviewed by Ngoc Hung