- Dustin Nguyen
-
This article is about the actor. For the artist, see Dustin Nguyen (artist).
Dustin Nguyen 
Nguyen at the 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival.Born Nguyen Xuan Tri
September 17, 1962
Saigon, South VietnamOccupation Actor
Director
Writer
Martial artistYears active 1985–present Spouse Angela Rockwood-Nguyen Website http://dustintringuyen.com/ Dustin Nguyen (born September 17, 1962) is a Vietnamese-American actor, director, writer and martial artist. He is best known for his roles as Harry Truman Ioki on 21 Jump Street and as Johnny Loh on V.I.P.[1]
Contents
Early life
Born as Nguyễn Xuân Trí in Saigon, Vietnam, his mother My Le was an actress and dancer and his father, Xuan Phat, was an actor, writer and producer in South Vietnam. The family left Vietnam in April 1975 as it fell to Communist Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army forces.
They arrived in Guam, then the family was moved to a refugee camp in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, and finally with the assistance of a Methodist church they relocated to Des Peres, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. After Nguyen graduated from Garden Grove High School in Garden Grove, CA, he attended Orange Coast College and majored in communications. Nguyen practices several martial arts including Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Eskrima, and Jeet Kune Do.[2]
Personal life
After a car accident on September 3, 2001 that left his wife, Angela Rockwood-Nguyen, a quadriplegic, Nguyen and his wife have been active in The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center. That accident also claimed the life of Vietnamese-American actress Thuy Trang, a member of the original cast of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
Filmography
He made his acting debut on Magnum, P.I., portraying a Cambodian freedom fighter in the episode "Crouching." He was a cast member on both 21 Jump Street and V.I.P., and has guest-starred on a number of other series, including General Hospital, Highlander, and most notably seaQuest DSV, playing the role of Chief William Shan. Moreover, he played a cameo role in Charlie's Angels. Nguyen also auditioned for the role of Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat, but lost out to Robin Shou. In 1993 he played a Vietnamese man sent off to fight with the Viet Cong, in the film Heaven & Earth. In 2005, Nguyen starred as a former heroin addict opposite Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett in the critically acclaimed Little Fish.[3] He most recently starred in the 2007 films The Rebel and Saigon Eclipse. In 2008 he starred in the Vietnamese martial art film Huyen Thoai Bat Tu (The Legend Is Alive, The Immortal Legend)[4] where he plays a mentally disabled martial artist. Nguyen screened in 2009 the Thriller The Gauntlet under the Direction from Matt Eskandari and stars alongside Chinese actress star Bai Ling.
Filmography
Year Title Role Notes The Unit'' Transit Officer JAG'' Lt. Bao Hien 2003 The Break V.I.P. Johnny Loh Die Gang Marc Wiessner Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Lo Gee VR.5 Ky Buchanan Vanishing Son Hung Phantom 2040 Tranh Vanishing Son IV Hung 1994 Vanishing Son II Hung SeaQuest DSV Chief William Shan Highlander Chu Lin Murder, She Wrote David Kuan Street Justice The Commish Earth Angel Peter 21 Jump Street Officer Harry Truman Ioki Danger Bay Duk Chin Shell Game Doug The A-Team Bobby Magnum, P.I. Joe General Hospital Suki 2011 Popular Dysfunctions Comandante Chitt pre-production 2011 The Gauntlet Jin-Soo post-production 2010 Floating Lives Vo 2010 De Mai Tinh Dung 2009 The Legend Is Alive 2007 The Rebel Sy 2007 Saigon Eclipse Kim 2007 Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee Troy Poon 2005 Little Fish Jonny 1998 Hundred Percent Isaac 1995 The Doom Generation Quickiemart Clerk 1995 Virtuosity Suburban Reporter 1994 3 Ninjas Kick Back Glam 1993 Heaven & Earth Sau 1993 No Escape, No Return Tommy Cuff 1992 Rapid Fire Paul Yang 1985 Sunset Strip Chinese Youth Producer
- 2007 AZN Asian Excellence Awards (2007) - Himself
- "E! True Hollywood Story" - Himself (1 episode, 2004)
- "Howard Stern" - Himself (4 episodes, 1999)
- "The Howard Stern Radio Show" - Himself (2 episodes, 1999)
- "Intimate Portrait" - Himself (1 episode)
In Production
- CinemAbility (2011) (filming) - Himself
- The Slanted Screen (2006) - Himself
Awards
In March 2009 he won the Vietnamese Cánh Diều Vàng (Golden Kite Award) for Best Actor, for his starring role in the Phuoc Sang Films starring vehicle, Huyen Thoai Bat Tu (The Legend Is Alive).[5][6]
References
- ^ "Taking a Big Leap From `Jump Street' After finding success in the '80s on the police show, Dustin Nguyen is moving into films and `seaQuest' while sharpening his martial arts skills. Series: FAST TRACK: Up and Comers in Arts and Entertainment * One in a Series". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1994-05-24/entertainment/ca-61610_1_jump-street. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
- ^ "Jobless Actor Rejects Asian Stereotypes Series". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-05-01/local/me-1314_1_asian-character. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
- ^ http://www.ocregister.com/articles/vietnamese-international-film-2350080-festival-viff
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0629006/news#ni0695726
- ^ http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/dustin-nguyen-star-vehicle-the-legend-is-alive-dominates-the-vietnamese-gol/
- ^ http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01CUL030309
External links
- Official website
- Dustin Nguyen at the Internet Movie Database
- Lisa Lee (2006-07-07). "No ‘Little Fish’". AsianWeek.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071016122019/http://news.asianweek.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=4ef6c10bc196e4b43cd5bde047bef6db. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
- Patricia Brennan (1987-12-13). "Out Of Saigon And Into TV". Washington Post. http://cglass.vinu.edu/21JS/21art5.html. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
- Allan Donnelly (March, 2002). "V.I.P moves are no Hollywood make-believe". Men's Fitness. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_3_18/ai_83343028. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
- "Dustin's destiny". Nguoi Viet Daily News. 2007-03-01. http://www.nguoi-viet.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=56370&print=yes. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
Categories:- 1962 births
- Living people
- People from Ho Chi Minh City
- American film actors
- American television actors
- American actors of Asian descent
- Actors from California
- American taekwondo practitioners
- Vietnamese taekwondo practitioners
- Naturalized citizens of the United States
- People from St. Louis, Missouri
- Vietnamese emigrants to the United States
- Actors of Vietnamese descent
- Vietnamese actors
- Vietnamese film actors
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