Win Min Than facts for kids

Win Min Than (Burmese: ဝင်းမင်းသန်း; born November 30, 1933) is a famous actress from Burma (now called Myanmar). She is best known for her role in a big Hollywood movie from 1954 called The Purple Plain.

About Win Min Than

Early Life and School

Win Min Than was born on November 30, 1933, in a place called Bago, in Burma. At that time, Burma was under British rule. She grew up in Rangoon. Her father was part Anglo-Burmese, and her mother was Germanic-Burmese. Her father worked for the government.

During World War II, when Japan took over Burma, her family had to leave their home. They moved to India for safety. She went to a special school there, called a convent school, until she was 14 years old. At this school, she learned to speak English very well.

A New Path

In 1951, her family sent her to London, England. She went to a dance school called Marie Rambert’s dance school. However, she soon realized that dancing was not what she wanted to do. After a short time, she decided to return to Burma.

Becoming a Movie Star

In 1954, something exciting happened. A friend of an American movie director named Robert Parrish visited Win Min Than's home. The friend took a picture of her and sent it to the director.

Director Parrish was looking for an actress for his new film, The Purple Plain. Out of about 200 women, Win Min Than was chosen for the role of Anna! She had never acted in a movie before. It was a big challenge for her.

People praised her acting in the movie. A magazine called Variety said her scenes with the main actor, Gregory Peck, were very sweet. They wrote that she was an "exotic yet restrained Burmese beauty."

Family Life

On January 7, 1954, Win Min Than got married in Rome, Italy. Her husband was a Burmese politician named Bo Setkya, also known as Thakin Aung Than. They had one son together, named Aka Setkya.

Her husband passed away on September 6, 1969. Win Min Than now lives in Australia with her son.

Filmography

Films

• The Purple Plain (1954)