Dustin Nguyen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dustin Nguyen
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Nguyen in 2007
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| Born |
Nguyễn Xuân Trí
September 17 1962 (62) |
| Nationality |  Vietnam United States |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1985–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Angela Rockwood
(m. 2001; div. 2012)Bebe Pham
(m. 2012) |
| Children | 4 |
Dustin Nguyen, born Nguyễn Xuân Trí on September 17, 1962, is a Vietnamese-American actor and martial artist. He is famous for playing Harry Truman Ioki in the TV show 21 Jump Street and Johnny Loh in V.I.P. More recently, he starred as Zing in the martial arts crime drama series Warrior. In movies, he is known for his roles in Little Fish, The Doom Generation, and The Rebel.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to America
Dustin Nguyen was born Nguyễn Xuân Trí in Saigon, South Vietnam. He was one of two sons in his family. His mother, My Le, was an actress and dancer. His father, Xuân Phát, was an actor, comedian, writer, and producer in Vietnam. His family left Vietnam in April 1975 during a difficult time known as the fall of Saigon.
Becoming a Refugee
When Dustin was a teenager, his family arrived in Guam as refugees. They were then moved to a refugee camp in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. With help from a Methodist church, they finally settled in Des Peres, Missouri, a town near St. Louis. An episode of 21 Jump Street called "Christmas in Saigon" was based on his family's journey. It showed their escape from Vietnam and their arrival in the United States. Dustin Nguyen also helped as a technical advisor for that episode.
Education and Martial Arts
Nguyen graduated from Garden Grove High School in Garden Grove, California. He then went to Orange Coast College and studied communications. However, he later left college to focus on acting full-time. Dustin Nguyen is skilled in several martial arts. These include Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Eskrima, and Jeet Kune Do.
Acting Career Highlights
Dustin Nguyen started his acting career on the TV show Magnum, P.I. He played a Cambodian freedom fighter in an episode called "All For One." He was a regular actor on both 21 Jump Street and VIP. He also appeared as a guest star on many other TV series. These include General Hospital, Highlander, and seaQuest DSV. He even had a small role in the movie Charlie's Angels.
Notable Film Roles
In 1993, Dustin Nguyen played a Vietnamese man fighting with the Viet Cong in the film Heaven & Earth. In 2005, he starred alongside Cate Blanchett in the movie Little Fish. He also starred in the 2007 films The Rebel and Saigon Eclipse. In 2008, he played a martial artist with a mental disability in the Vietnamese film Huyen Thoai Bat Tu. He also had a small appearance in 22 Jump Street.
Directing and Recent Work
Dustin Nguyen continues to act and make films in Vietnam. He directed his first feature film, the Vietnamese fantasy movie Once Upon a Time in Vietnam, where he also acted. He later starred in the Vietnamese film Gentle, which was well-received at the 2015 Busan International Film Festival. He joined the main cast of the TV series Warrior in its second season. In 2023, he was cast in the film The Accidental Getaway Driver, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
Personal Life
On September 3, 2001, Dustin Nguyen was involved in a car accident. His fiancée, Angela Rockwood, became a paraplegic after the accident. Nguyen and Rockwood then became active supporters of The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center. The accident also sadly took the life of Vietnamese actress Thuy Trang, who played the Yellow Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Dustin Nguyen and Angela Rockwood divorced in 2012.
Dustin Nguyen now lives in Vietnam full-time. In 2012, he married Vietnamese actress and model Bebe Pham. They have four daughters together. He can speak both English and Vietnamese fluently.
Filmography
Film Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Sunset Strip | Chinese Youth | |
| 1991 | Earth Angel | Peter | |
| 1992 | Rapid Fire | Paul Yang | |
| 1993 | No Escape, No Return | Tommy Cuff | |
| Heaven & Earth | Sau | ||
| 1994 | 3 Ninjas Kick Back | Glam | |
| Vanishing Son II | Hung | ||
| Vanishing Son IV | |||
| 1995 | Virtuosity | Suburban Reporter | |
| The Doom Generation | Clerk | ||
| 1998 | Hundred Percent | Isaac | |
| 2003 | The Break | ||
| 2005 | Little Fish | Jonny | Actor |
| 2007 | Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee | Troy Poon | |
| Saigon Eclipse | Kim | ||
| The Rebel | Sy | Actor | |
| 2009 | The Legend Is Alive | Long | Actor |
| 2010 | Fool for Love | Dung | |
| Floating Lives | Vo | Actor | |
| 2011 | The Gauntlet | Jin-Soo | |
| Popular Dysfunctions | Comandante Chitt | ||
| 2013 | Once Upon a Time in Vietnam | Dao | Director/Actor |
| 2014 | 22 Jump Street | Vietnamese Jesus/Harry Truman Ioki | Cameo |
| 2015 | The Man with the Iron Fists 2 | Li Kung | Actor |
| Jackpot | Tu Nghia | Director/Actor | |
| Zero Tolerance | Johnny | Actor | |
| Gentle | Thien | Actor | |
| 2016 | I'll Wait | Director | |
| 2017 | Voodoo Doll | Hung | Actor |
| 2022 | Blade of the 47 Ronin | Lord Nikko | Actor |
| 2023 | The Accidental Getaway Driver | Tây | Actor |
Television Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | General Hospital | Suki | |
| 1985 | Magnum, P.I. | Joe | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | The A-Team | Bobby | Episode: "Point of No Return" |
| 1987 | Shell Game | Doug | Episode: "Pai Gow" |
| 1987–1990 | 21 Jump Street | Officer Harry Truman Ioki | Main role (seasons 1–4); 82 episodes |
| 1989 | Danger Bay | Duk Chin | Episode: "Open Book" |
| 1992 | The Commish | Robert Hue | Episode: "Charlie Don't Surf" |
| Street Justice | Episode: "Bad Choices" | ||
| Highlander | Chu Lin | Episode: "The Road Not Taken" | |
| 1993 | Murder, She Wrote | David Kuan | Episode: "A Death in Hong Kong" |
| Highlander | Jimmy Sang | Episode: "Revenge of the Sword" | |
| SeaQuest DSV | Chief William Shan | 4 episodes | |
| 1994–1996 | Phantom 2040 | Tranh | 5 episodes |
| 1995 | Vanishing Son | Hung | Episode: "Single Flame" |
| VR.5 | Ky Buchanan | Episode: "Simon's Choice" | |
| Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Lo Gee | Episode: "Flying Fists of Fury II" | |
| 1997 | Die Gang | Marc Wiessner | Main role; 13 episodes |
| 1999–2002 | VIP | Johnny Loh | Main role (seasons 3–4); 62 episodes |
| 2003 | JAG | Lt. Bao Hien | Episode: "Fortunate Son" |
| 2009 | The Unit | Transit Officer | Episode: "Chaos Theory" |
| 2011 | Gordon's Great Escape | Guest | Episode 2.2: "Vietnam" |
| 2012 | The Amazing Race Vietnam | Host | Season 1 |
| 2018 | This Is Us | Bao | Episode: "Sometimes" |
| 2019–2023 | Warrior | Zing | Recurring (season 1); main role (season 2) |
| 2025 | ... Thief | Son Pham | Upcoming miniseries |
Awards and Recognition
Dustin Nguyen has won several awards for his acting. In March 2009, he won the Vietnamese Cánh Diều Vàng (Golden Kite Award) for best actor. This was for his main role in the film Huyền Thoại Bất Tử (The Legend Is Alive). For the same role, he also won a Golden Lotus Award, which is like Vietnam's Oscar, for Best Actor. He also received China's Golden Rooster Award for Best International Actor in 2009.
In 2015, Dustin won the Leonardo da Vinci Golden Horse Award at the Milan International Film Festival. This was for Best Supporting Actor in the Vietnamese film Gentle.
