Dustin Nguyen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dustin Nguyen
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| Born |
Nguyễn Xuân Trí
Saigon, South Vietnam
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| 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) is a Vietnamese–American actor and martial artist. He is well known for his roles as Harry Truman Ioki on 21 Jump Street and as Johnny Loh on V.I.P. More recently, he played Zing in the martial arts TV show Warrior. In movies, he has starred in Little Fish, The Doom Generation, and The Rebel.
Contents
Early Life
Dustin Nguyen was born Nguyễn Xuân Trí in Saigon, South Vietnam. His parents, My Le and Xuan Phat, were both actors and artists in Vietnam. His family left Vietnam in April 1975 during a time of big changes in the country.
They first arrived in Guam and then moved to a refugee camp in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. With help from a church, they later moved to Des Peres, Missouri, near St. Louis. After graduating from Garden Grove High School in California, Dustin studied communications at Orange Coast College. He also practices several martial arts, including Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Eskrima, and Jeet Kune Do.
Acting Career
Dustin Nguyen started his acting career on Magnum, P.I. He played a Cambodian freedom fighter in one episode. He became a regular actor on popular shows like 21 Jump Street and VIP. He also appeared as a guest star on many other series, including General Hospital, Highlander, and seaQuest DSV. He even had a small role in the movie Charlie's Angels.
In 1993, he acted in the film Heaven & Earth. In 2005, he starred alongside famous actress Cate Blanchett in the movie Little Fish. He also appeared in the Vietnamese martial arts film The Rebel in 2007. In 2008, he played a martial artist in the Vietnamese film Huyen Thoai Bat Tu (The Legend Is Alive). He also had a small part in 22 Jump Street.
Dustin Nguyen now lives and works in Vietnam, where he continues to act and make films. He directed his first movie, Once Upon a Time in Vietnam, in which he also starred. He later acted in the Vietnamese film Gentle, which was well-received at the 2015 Busan International Film Festival. He also joined the main cast of the TV series Warrior in its second season. In 2023, he starred in 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 at the time, Angela Rockwood, became a paraplegic. After this, Dustin and Angela became active supporters of The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center. They later divorced in 2012.
Dustin Nguyen now lives in Vietnam. In 2012, he married Vietnamese actress and model Bebe Pham. They have four daughters together. He can speak both English and Vietnamese very well.
Filmography
Film
| 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 | |||
| 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
| 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) |
Producer
- A Tourist's Guide to Love (2023)– Consulting Producer
- The Amazing Race Vietnam 2012 (2012) – Himself
- CinemAbility (2011) (filming) – Himself
- 2007 AZN Asian Excellence Awards (2007) – Himself
- The Slanted Screen (2006) – 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)
Awards and Recognition
In March 2009, Dustin Nguyen won the Vietnamese Cánh Diều Vàng (Golden Kite Award) for best actor. He received this award 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 that year. This award is like Vietnam's version of the Oscars. He also won China's Golden Rooster Award for Best International Actor at the Golden Rooster and Thousand Flowers International Film Festival in 2009.
In 2015, at the Milan International Film Festival, Dustin won the Leonardo da Vinci Golden Horse Award. This was for Best Supporting Actor in the Vietnamese film Gentle.
