Kieu Chinh

Born Kieu Chinh on September 3, 1937, in Hanoi, French Indochina, her early life was marked by the complexities of World War II and the division of Vietnam. At the age of six, her mother and infant brother died in an Allied bombing raid targeting Japanese troops. Her father, a government official, urged her to travel to South Vietnam, promising to reunite, but she never saw him again; he later died homeless after imprisonment in a re-education camp. These formative experiences deeply influenced her personal and professional trajectory, shaping her commitment to humanitarian work later in life.

Chinh began her acting career in South Vietnam in 1957 with a starring role in ‘The Bells of Thiên Mụ Temple.’ Throughout the 1960s, she appeared in numerous Vietnamese and American productions, including ‘A Yank in Viet-Nam’ (1964) and ‘Operation C.I.A.’ (1965) alongside Burt Reynolds. She also ventured into producing, notably for the war epic ‘Faceless Lover’ (or ‘Warrior, Who Are You’) in 1971, which received critical acclaim and awards, including Best Leading Actress for Chinh at the Asian International Film Festival XVI in Taipei in 1971. In April 1975, while on a film set in Singapore, the Fall of Saigon occurred. She eventually found refuge in the U.S., resuming her acting career with a notable appearance in a 1977 episode of the CBS series ‘M*A*S*H,’ titled “In Love and War,” which was loosely based on her life experiences.

In the U.S., Kieu Chinh continued her career in both film and television. Her prominent film roles include Suyuan Woo in ‘The Joy Luck Club’ (1993), ‘Hamburger Hill’ (1987), ‘Catfish in Black Bean Sauce’ (1999), and ‘Journey From The Fall’ (2005). On television, she had a recurring role as Trieu Au on ABC’s ‘China Beach’ (1989-1991) and made guest appearances on shows such as ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ (2014-2018) and ‘The Sympathizer’ (2024). Beyond her acting work, Chinh is a dedicated humanitarian. She co-founded the Vietnam Children’s Fund with journalist Terry Anderson, which has built over 50 schools in Vietnam, attended by more than 25,000 students annually. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the ‘Refugee of the Year’ award from the United States Congress in 1990 and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Vietnamese International Film Festival in 2003.