Nguyễn Chánh Tín

Nguyễn Chánh Tín (1952-2020) was a famous Vietnamese film actor and pop music singer. 

Born into a well to do family in the provincial town of Bạc Liêu located in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam, he was the youngest of five children.  From an early age, Nguyễn Chánh Tín had clearly shown signs with his God given talents that he was destined for a career in the performing arts.  A self taught singer, he was often chosen to perform solo at various school events.  Unlike most of his peers, Nguyễn Chánh Tín did not have any bouts of stagefright growing up and relished at performing in front of an audience as it gave him comfort along with gratification.  His active participation in school theater productions and music programs led him to joining a local pop band while he was still in high school.  After graduating from Mạc Đĩnh Chi High School, Nguyễn Chánh Tín enrolled at the University of Saigon as a biology student.  However, during his sophomore year at college his life changed drastically as he had become an established professional pop singer performing for various major nightclubs in Saigon and recording for Nhạc Trẻ and Shotguns record labels . In 1974, Nguyễn Chánh Tín costarred with Băng Châu in the film, Vĩnh Biệt Tình Hè (Goodbye, Summer Love).  He had also recorded the theme song by the same name written by Huyền Anh which had become as big of a success as the film.  

After the Fall of Saigon, Nguyễn Chánh Tín found himself in a similar situation with a lot of other stars of South Vietnam.  Prior to 1975, he had owned a mansion, a car and lived a life of luxury.  With the new communist regime that had taken over in Saigon, Nguyễn Chánh Tín had to start all over. He began performing for the theater troupe headed by Thẩm Thúy Hằng.  In the early 1980s, he unsuccessfully attempted to defect from Vietnam by boat.  After spending time in prison, he was casted in the hugely popular mini-series, Ván Bài Lật Ngửa (1982) costarring with Thanh Lan.  In 1992, Nguyễn Chánh Tín starred in and wrote the screenplay for the horror film, Ngôi Nhà Oan Khốc, which had costarred Việt Trinh, Lý Hùng, Hồng Vân and Tú Trinh.  The film went on to proft over a billion Vietnamese dong.  In 1995, Nguyễn Chánh Tín along with nephew, filmmaker Charlie Nguyen, opened Cinema Pictures in Southern California.  By 2005, the company had changed its name to Chánh Phương Films.

In 2007, his film production company, Cinema Pictures AKA Chánh Phương Films released Dòng Máu Anh Hùng (The Rebel), directed by his nephew, Charlie Nguyen, in which he costarred with his other nephews, Johnny Trí Nguyễn and popular Vietnamese-American actor Dustin Nguyen from 21 Jump Street fame, along with actress Ngô Thanh Vân.  The film's total production cost exceeded $1.6 million USD.  Despite good reviews and high expectations, the film plummeted at the box office and resulted in a major financial loss for Nguyễn Chánh Tín. As a result, Nguyễn Chánh Tín ended up having to sell his mansion located in the 10th district of Ho Chi Minh City.  During his final years, he along with his wife, singer Bích Trâm, were forced to live in a rented modest home in Ho Chi Minh City. 

Married to singer Bích Trâm since 1974, the couple were proud parents to a grown son and grown daughter.  Due to his image as a heartthrob, Nguyễn Chánh Tín had been rumored to have participated in many extra marital affairs with both men and women during his marriage.  Aside from his famous nephews, filmmaker Charlie Nguyen, actors Johnny Trí Nguyễn and Dustin Nguyen, he had one other famous nephew, comedian Vân Sơn, who was also the owner of Vân Sơn Entertainment.  Nguyễn Chánh Tín passed away on January 4, 2020 following a stroke.  

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