Kieu Chinh
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
Emissary for Vietnam to the annual Asian Film Festival for 15 years.
Chinh was awarded a "Refugee of the Year" award by the US Congress, a certificate of "recognition for outstanding and multifaceted contributions to the artistic world and the mosaic of American society" (1990)
Biography
A Vietnamese character actress who got her start in film when Joseph L. Mankiewicz came to Saigon for location footage for his offbeat "The Quiet American" (1958), Kieu Chinh soon became one of South Vietnam's best-known personalities, making over 40 films and hosting her own popular TV talk show. In the mid-1960s she also appeared in several American productions including "A Yank in Vietnam" (1964) and "Operation C.I.A." (1965), the latter opposite Burt Reynolds. Having lost a father and a brother in conflicts with the French in the early 50s, Kieu Chinh quickly left for the US when the North Vietnamese invaded in 1975. TV-movies including "The Children of An Lac" (1980), "The Letter" (1982) and "The Girl Who Spelled Freedom" (1986) have kept her busiest, but feature films offered her roles in "Hamburger Hill" (1987) and "Gleaming the Cube" (1988). Wayne Wang's "The Joy Luck Club" (1993) offered Kieu Chinh one of her best parts to date as a mother reaching out to her daughter over games of mah-jongg.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Film Production - Main (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1954
Taken in by another family at age 14 when she flew to Saigon (date approximate)
1957
Acting debut starring in the Vietnamese production, "Hoi Chuong Thien Mu (The Bells of Thien Mu Temple)"
1957
Attended a reception for Figaro Productions, which journeyed to Saigon for location shooting for "The Quiet American"
1958
American film debut as a Buddhist nun in "The Quiet American"
1964
Appeared in the American production, "A Yank in Vietnam"
1965
Appeared in "Operation C.I.A." opposite Burt Reynolds
1970
Produced the war epic "Nguoi Tinh Khong Chan Dung (Faceless Lover)"
1975
Left Saigon on April 24, one week before Saigon fell to the Vietcong; moved to California with the help of performers who had appeared on her TV show, including the American actress Tippi Hedren
1977
First acting job in the U.S. (After almost two years) in an episode of the CBS series, "M*A*S*H"; episode was loosely based on her life
1977
Made TV-movie debut in "Cover Girls"
1980
Served as technical advisor and acted in the CBS TV-movie, "The Children of An Lac"
1983
Appeared in five episodes of "Dynasty" (ABC) playing Sister Agnes
1986
Co-starred in the ABC TV-movie, "The Girl Who Spelled Freedom"
1987
Acted first US feature in over 20 years, the Vietnam War drama, "Hamburger Hill"
1989
Cast in the HBO drama special, "Vietnam War Story: The Last Days"
1993
Co-starred in Wayne Wang's "The Joy Luck Club"
1997
Had featured role in the Showtime drama "Riot"
2000
Co-starred in Gurinder Chadha's ensemble, "What's Cooking?"
2002
Co-starred in the independent drama, "Face"
2007
Starred in "Journey from the Fall," an epic feature following a Vietnamese family through the aftermath of the fall of Saigon
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
Emissary for Vietnam to the annual Asian Film Festival for 15 years.
Chinh was awarded a "Refugee of the Year" award by the US Congress, a certificate of "recognition for outstanding and multifaceted contributions to the artistic world and the mosaic of American society" (1990)
