Doua Moua facts for kids

Doua Moua (born February 7, 1987) is an American actor and writer. He is well-known for playing Spider in the 2008 movie Gran Torino. He also played Po in Disney's live-action Mulan.

Early Life and Education

Doua Moua was born in a refugee camp in Thailand. His parents were from Laos and were of Hmong descent. They had to leave their home because of a conflict called the Laotian Civil War. When Doua was six months old, his family moved to Minnesota as refugees. He grew up in the city of St. Paul.

In middle school, a teacher suggested Doua join choir and theater classes. He also acted in plays with local community groups. He later graduated from the International School of Minnesota in Eden Prairie. Doua Moua has cousins who are also well-known, like former state senator Mee Moua and dancer-actor Aidan Prince.

Acting Career

Doua Moua moved to New York City to become an actor. His first acting job was as an extra on the TV show Law and Order: SVU. He worked at an Italian restaurant to help pay for his acting career. He kept trying out for small roles.

Gran Torino

Eventually, Doua decided to audition for the movie Gran Torino. Most actors hear back about roles in about a week. But Doua had to wait three months before he got a response. Getting cast in this film was a big step for more Hmong people to get into filmmaking.

Doua played a gang member in Gran Torino. He said he had no regrets about this role. He explained that many young Hmong people growing up in St. Paul faced challenges. He felt it was important to show these real-life stories in movies.

Beyond Gran Torino

After Gran Torino, Doua continued to act in movies and on TV. He often played characters who were not very nice. When his parents asked why he kept playing "mean" people, he joked that his heritage gave him "mean eyebrows."

Doua also wanted to create a movie about his own life as a Hmong American in Minnesota. He noticed there weren't many movies showing Hmong stories. He wrote a film called The Harvest. It was planned to be directed by Dan Ireland and star Doua himself. Sadly, Ireland passed away, and another director, Li Lu, is now involved. The movie is still being developed.

Doua was also cast as Po in the live-action Disney movie Mulan. Besides acting, he is a talented writer. His coming-of-age script, "The Harvest," was a semi-finalist for the Academy's Nicholl's Fellowship. This is a big award for screenwriters.

Notable Roles

Doua Moua has appeared in many movies and TV shows. Some of his well-known roles include:

• Spider in the movie Gran Torino (2008)
• Po in Disney's live-action Mulan (2020)
• Roles in TV shows like Blue Bloods and Marvel's Iron Fist