Than Thuy Ha

Than Thuy Ha  (1979-    ) is a former fashion model turned television and film actress in Vietnam.

 Born on April 27, 1979 in Tien Giang province in Southern region of Vietnam, Than Thuy Ha grew up in an impoverished family.  Due to her family's financial hardship, she started working while still a child helping out her parents selling fruits and juice in a kiosque at the local street market in the Mekong Delta.  Patrons would take notice of this fair skinned, beautiful young girl often suggesting to her to one day consider pursuing a career as a fashion model.  To Than Thuy Ha at the time, a modeling career seemed rather far fetched and unrealistic.  Eventually, she would give in to such advice given to her by these patrons when at the age of 16, she would enter a local beauty pageant and end up taking first prize.  From then on, Than Thuy Ha's life changed forever.

By the age of 16, Than Thuy Ha relocated to Ho Chi Minh City and had established herself as one of Vietnam's most successful fashion models. Her earnings from fashion shows, print work and commercials would enable her to support her family and take them out of poverty.  After a few years working as a top fashion model, Than Thuy Ha launched her own fashion line named Anna along with a boutique in Ho Chi Minh City.  Unfortunately, due to her lack of experience and knowledge in how to run a business, Than Thuy Ha's fashion line and boutique tumbled shortly after its grand opening.

Coinciding with the failure of her first business venture, Than Thuy Ha would also experience another obstacle with the ending of her modeling career after ten years.  Regardless, Than Thuy Ha remained undaunted as she forged ahead with the opening of another business, a cosmetics retail store in Ho Chi Minh City, and the beginning of a new career as an actress.  Her persistence and determination would pay off as she would find success in both her new business and acting career.

As an actress, Than Thuy Ha was able to immediately land many television and film roles.  She has since become one of the most popular actresses in Vietnam.  Among the films and television movies Than Thuy Ha has starred in include Lau Dai Tinh Ai, Co Biec, Manh Vo, Ghen, Luc Van Tren, Nguoi Gac Mo and Chuong Reo La Ban.  

Than Thuy Ha and son, Duy Anh

Than Thuy Ha was briefly married from 2009 until 2011 to a working class .  Out of that marriage came a son, Duy Anh, born in 2009.  She currently resides in Ho Chi Minh City.  Prior to the marriage, Than Thuy Ha had been romantically linked to singer Tuan Hung.

Link(s):

50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of All Time
Than Thuy Ha Facebook Fan Page

Danny Graves

Danny Graves (1973-    ) is an American former professional baseball player.  Born in Saigon to a Vietnamese mother and American serviceman father, Graves moved to the United States when he was just 14 months old.  He started his professional career in baseball after graduating from the University of Miami and is the only professional American baseball player born in Vietnam.

Graves grew up in Brandon, Florida and graduated from Brandon High School.  In 1991, he enrolled at the University of Miami on a baseball scholarship.  In 1994, Graves was drafted into the Major Leagues by the Cleveland Indians.  Due to injury, he spent a year in rehabilitation before being traded into the Cleveland Reds in 1995.  He played for the Cleveland Reds for eight years as pitcher before signing as a free agent with the New York Mets for a year in 2005.  Graves had compiled a 40-42 record with 406 strikeouts during his nine years with Cleveland and Cincinnati.  His last professional affiliation was with the Houston Astros in the Minor Leagues in 2009.

He is currently married and a father of three children from a previous marriage.

Link(s):

20 International Celebrities You Didn't Know Are Vietnamese

Mary Xinh Nguyen

Mary Xinh Nguyen (1969-    ) is a former fashion model and winner of Revlon's Most Unforgettable Woman of the Year award in 1989 turned attorney at law.  Born in Da Nang to a Vietnamese mother and Anglo-American father, Mary came to the United States in 1975 when her mother courageously gave her up for temporary adoption as Mary boarded a flight without her mother.  Months later, mother and daughter would be reunited in Southern California.

In 1989, while a junior at Boston University, Mary entered Revlon's Most Unforgettable Woman of the Year contest and took first prize.  The prize winnings included $25,000 and a photo session with world renowned photographer Richard Avedon where her image would appear on magazines such as Vogue, Glamour, Elle and Seventeen.  During the 1990s, Mary Xinh Nguyen had made many guest appearances on various Vietnamese-American video productions for Diem Xua, Nang Enterprises and Asia Entertainment's first volume of the live show series, Dem Saigon, filmed at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and co-hosted by Vietnamese actor Tran Quang, Vietnamese-American actor Dustin Nguyen, Vietnamese-American actress Isabelle Nhu Loan and Vietnamese singer Anh Quy.

A graduate at Boston University where she majored in political science, Mary Xinh Nguyen also holds a law degree from Whittier College, School of Law.  She was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1999.  Mary Xinh Nguyen currently practices law in Los Angeles, California.  She is married with one child.

Link(s):

50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of All Time

Tuan Anh

Tuan Anh (1948-    ) is a Vietnamese-American singer and entertainer.  He first rose to prominence in the overseas Vietnamese community of the United States in the early 1980s.  Among his many distinguishing trademarks include his powerful voice, quick-witted comedic persona and signature style of dress, which has often been referred to as either being "flashy", "flamboyant", "provocative" to even "offensive" by some.  Regardless of such controversial attributes associated with Tuan Anh, he has managed to have a highly successful career as an entertainer for Vietnamese audiences all over the world for over three decades.

Prior to resettling in the United States in 1979, Tuan Anh had come from an affluent family in South Vietnam.  Born on November 25, 1948, Tuan Anh grew up in Saigon and graduated from the prestigious Petrus Ky High School.  After graduating from high school,  Tuan Anh attended the University of Saigon, School of Science.  Once resettled in the United States at the age of 30, Tuan Anh finally began to pursue his dream of a career as a professional Vietnamese singer.  In a short period of time of less than two years, Tuan Anh's popularity with overseas Vietnamese audiences led him to perform at live shows for Vietnamese communities across the United States.   Performances for overseas Vietnamese communities in several cities in Canada would follow, along with shows in Europe and Australia.

During his early years as a professional Vietnamese singer, Tuan Anh quickly achieved notoriety largely due to his distinct appearance on stage as many members from his audience had taken his persona for shock value.  The media within overseas Vietnamese communities initially had dubbed him as the "Vietnamese Boy George", which at first had been viewed as negative press, but instead resulted in his favor as his popularity would increase dramatically which coincided with the amount of publicity generated from the media.  Tuan Anh's enduring career and sustained popularity through the years eventually has earned him the much deserved respect from Vietnamese audiences worldwide as a serious performance artist.  As a live performer, Tuan Anh was one of the biggest headliners at Vietnamese cabarets and nightclubs in Orange County, California such as Tu Do, Caravelle, Ritz and Queen Bee.  While on tour at various major cities for Vietnamese communities all over the world, he has been one of the biggest crowd pleasers among Vietnamese singers.  Show after show, fans would line up to request Tuan Anh to perform a list of songs that have become known as his signature songs like Kiep Dam Me, written by Duy Quang, Khuc Thuy Du, written by Viet Dzung, Trai Tim Nguc Tu, written by Duc Huy and Chiec Ao Ba Ba, written by Nhat Truong.  Among his most popular songs sung in English include The Power of Love, I Who Have Nothing and Unchain My Heart.  Tuan Anh became the first superstar among overseas Vietnamese male artists whose celebrity status reached ranks that were comparable to such big names of legendary performers since prior to 1975 such as Elvis Phuong, Che Linh and Duy Quang.  His wide diversity as a vocalist surpasses that of most other Vietnamese singers, as Tuan Anh has the astounding ability to perform in all sorts of different genres of music, ranging from traditional Vietnamese popular music to more modernized Vietnamese ballads and even Euro New Wave and dance music.  In addition to his native language of Vietnamese, Tuan Anh sings in French, English and even Chinese.  As one of the most bankable headliners at Vietnamese live concert shows worldwide, in addition to his singing Tuan Anh continues to wow audiences on stage with his comedic antics and professional showmanship.  One of his most memorable performances during the 1980s was at the Anaheim Convention Center in 1988 during a highly publicized, sold out live concert event which featured Taiwanese film and television actor Chin Han, known as Tan Han by his Vietnamese fans, as the main headliner.  The show was hosted by emcee Viet Thao and also included a gala of some of the top performers among Vietnamese singers during the time such as Lynda Trang Dai, Carol Kim, Kim Anh, Phuong Hoai Tam, Tuan Dat and Lucia Kim Chi.  Despite Chin Han's much anticipated appearance at the concert given how the popularity of Taiwanese and Hong Kong dramas during the 1980s with Vietnamese fans was at its peak, the performer who ended up stealing the show that night was none other than Tuan Anh.  The sold out audience of nearly 10,000 in attendance simply went wild when he performed a cover of legendary composer Ngo Thuy Mien's classic, Tuoi 13, in which Tuan Anh delivered flawlessly in the falsetto register matching that of Thai Thanh's soprano range.

Tuan Anh greeting fans at a live show

During the 1990s with the onset wave of massive popularity in music video live shows released by several major production labels such as Thuy Nga Paris, Asia Productions, Van Son Entertainment and Mây Productions in the overseas Vietnamese music industry, in order for Vietnamese singers to either reach or sustain top billing status an unofficial requirement was to appear on these video productions as frequently as possible.  The tremendous exposure gained from appearances on Thuy Nga's wildly popular Paris By Night series during this decade created a slew of new superstars among Vietnamese entertainers such as Don Ho, Ai Van, Nguyen Hung, Thanh Ha, Luu Bich, Manh Quynh, The Son, Thien Kim, Nguyen Ngoc Ngan and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen.  Asia Productions were right behind Thuy Nga as a starmaker powerhouse with a list of new crop that included Nhu Quynh, Lam Nhat Tien, Lam Thuy Van, Trish Thuy Trang and Shayla.  Van Son Entertainment first introduced Hoai Linh, Tu Quyen, Truong Vu and Tam Doan onto the scene.  May Productions, to a lesser degree, helped launch the careers of Thuy Hang, Phi Nhung, Philip Huy and Diem Lien with their debut music video appearances on the Hollywood Night series.  Top performers from the 1980s and decades prior that were able to sustain their star power into the 1990s did so with such video appearances like Khanh Ha, Elvis Phuong, Lynda Trang Dai, Huong Lan, Ngoc Lan, Y Lan, Khanh Ly, Thanh Lan, Thanh Tuyen, Tuan Ngoc, Thai Chau and Che Linh.  It should be noted that Tuan Anh was the only performer who had sustained his star power and appeal with audiences without much exposure from music videos.  His only appearance on music videos produced by one of the four major labels of the 1990s was on volume 1 of Asia Productions' Dem Saigon series with his performance of his signature song, Trai Tim Nguc Tu.  This star power of his remained throughout the 1990s, 2000s and continues to this day.

Tuan Anh records mostly for his own label, Tuan Anh Productions, that has been in operation since the early 1980s.

Link(s):

Tuan Anh on Facebook

Trinh Cong Son

Trinh Cong Son (1939-2001) was one of the most prolific Vietnamese songwriters of all time.  He along with Pham Duy are considered two of the most influential songwriters in the history of modern Vietnamese music.  Trinh Cong Son, throughout his lifelong career span as a songwriter and composer, had written over 600 songs altogether.  Many of the songs he had written and composed during the Vietnam War years carried out his antiwar sentiments.  A number of Trinh Cong Son's antiwar songs during this period were deemed too controversial and were banned by both governments; the Republic of Vietnam in the South and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the North.  Acclaimed Vietnamese author and diplomat Tran Van Dinh had dubbed Trinh Cong Son as the Bob Dylan of Vietnam during the 1960s and 1970s for his antiwar written songs.  Trinh Cong Son's music has launched the careers of several major Vietnamese recording artists, beginning with his most celebrated muse Khanh Ly, followed by others including Lan Ngoc, Cam Van, Hong Nhung and Quang Dung.

Although he was born in Ban Me Thuot, Vietnam, Trinh Cong Son had grown up mostly in the imperial city of Hue in Central Vietnam.  While in Hue, he had studied at Lycée Francais and Providence School.  When he relocated to Saigon, Trinh Cong Son studied Western philosophy at Lycée Jean-Jacques Rousseau and graduated as baccalaureate.  He returned to Central Vietnam in 1961 and later completed his studies at Quy Nhon University with a major in child psychology.  Immediately after his college graduation, Trinh Cong Son became an elementary school teacher in Lam Dong Province in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam.

At the age of 17, Trinh Cong Son had his first self-written and composed song published, Suong Dem (Night Fog).  This would be followed by another published song, Sao Chieu (Evening Star), that same year.  Although he was proud that he was now a published songwriter, both of the songs were overlooked and did not give Trinh Cong Son any visibility causing him to still remain as a virtual unknown composer/songwriter of Vietnam.  Three years later, his luck would change when he scored his first big hit with a song entitled Uot Mi (Tear Drenched Eyelashes) recorded by popular singer Thanh Thuy.  Undoubtedly, with vocals recorded by an artist of Thanh Thuy's caliber played a significant role in the song becoming a major hit.  Trinh Cong Son was overjoyed that Thanh Thuy had selected Uot Mi to record as a single and also include in her repertoire of signature songs at live performances.  At the time, Thanh Thuy was one of the brightest and fastest rising new stars in Vietnamese popular music.  Trinh Cong Son had become one of her most devoted fans.  He immediately followed up the success of Uot Mi with his next song also written and composed especially for her, Thuong Mot Nguoi (To Love Someone).  These two songs that Thanh Thuy had made popular with her recorded original versions would also turn Trinh Cong Son into a prominent songwriter/composer in Vietnam.  Singer Ha Thanh, like Thanh Thuy, was another artist who had helped introduce Trinh Cong Son's music to audiences all over South Vietnam.

Throughout his career as a songwriter and composer, Trinh Cong Son's name has been linked with the name of Vietnamese songstress Khanh Ly.  Their first meeting took place in 1964 while Khanh Ly was still living in Da Lat and singing for a local nightclub there.  Trinh Cong Son was instantly taken by her singing voice and tried to persuade her to relocate to Saigon and perform his music.  Unwilling to give up the comforts of her stable life in Da Lat, Khanh Ly turned down the composer's invitation.  As fate would have it, three years later Khanh Ly and Trinh Cong Son would meet again while Khanh Ly was visiting Saigon.  Their second chance meeting would result in a professional collaboration that would take both of their careers to unimaginable heights.  Beginning with Khanh Ly's live performance at Quan Van, an outdoor venue located in the grass fields next to the University of Saigon, School of Literature.  Khanh Ly's interpretations of Trinh Cong Son's music massively appealed to university students of Vietnam.  In the years that followed, Khanh Ly would perform Trinh Cong Son's music at live shows for communities of Vietnamese college students studying abroad in the United States, Canada and various European countries.  In 1970, Khanh Ly introduced many of Trinh Cong Son's songs to Japanese audiences when she performed on several successful live concerts in Tokyo sponsored by NHK-TV of Japan.  Khanh Ly had also recorded a collection of Trinh Coing Son songs for Nippon Columbia in both the original Vietnamese and Japanese translated lyrics.  Among the songs she recorded in Japan written and composed by Trinh Cong Son included Diem Xua, Ca Dao Me and Ngu Di Con, which had sold a total of more than two million copies.

Trinh Cong Son had also acted in the 1974 Vietnamese film, Dat Kho, which was narrated by singer Hong Van and starred legendary Vietnamese stage and film actress Kim Cuong. 

After the Fall of Saigon, Trinh Cong Son's muse, Khanh Ly, left Vietnam for the United States while he remained behind.  Khanh Ly continued to perform Trinh Cong Son's songs for overseas Vietnamese audiences after 1975 keeping his music popular outside of Vietnam.  Meanwhile in Vietnam, Trinh Cong Son was sentenced to four years at a labor camp, similar to that of reeducation camps for former ARVN personnel, by the new Vietnamese communist regime.  Finally, in the early 1980s Trinh Cong Son would find himself a new muse with singer Cam Van in Ho Chi Minh City.  He would eventually become one of the most well respected songwriters and composers in Vietnam and was even honored by the post-'75 Vietnamese communist government.  In the 1980s and 1990s, Trinh Cong Son continued to flourish as a songwriter and composer in Vietnam.

In 1992, Trinh Cong Son met singer Hong Nhung in Ho Chi Minh City.  The two would began a professional, as well as an intimate relationship that lasted for several years.  With Hong Nhung's fresh new style of singing and unique sound, her interpretaions of Trinh Cong Son's songs were reintroduced to a younger generation of new fans.

A lifelong bachelor, Trinh Cong Son had been engaged twice but had never walked down the aisle during his life.  For many years up until his death, Trinh Cong Son had owned a popular cabaret in Ho Chi Minh City called Club Trinh.  A heavy drinker and smoker through his entire adult life, he spent his last years in failing health.  On April 1, 2001, Trinh Cong Son died as a result of a combination of diabetes, kidney failure and liver failure.  In his will-and-testament, he had left the rights of his written and composed songs to both his older brother who now lives in the Unites States and younger sister who lives in Vietnam, Trinh Xuan Tinh and singer Trinh Vinh Trinh, respectively.

Link(s):

Trinh Cong Son Tribute Site

Jeannie Mai (Singer)

For the television personality and fashion expert, see Jeannie Mai (TV Personality).

Jeannie Mai (1957-1990) was a famous Vietnamese Eurasian singer of French and Vietnamese descent.  Jeannie Mai started her professional singing career in South Vietnam while still a teenager performing for various clubs catering to US military personnel patrons.  She was formally introduced to the Vietnamese audience when she started performing regularly at a venue run by singer/actress Mai Le Huyen called Khach San De Nhat (Premiere Hotel) in Saigon.  Her popularity would lead her to becoming a headliner at a number of major cabarets in Saigon such as Au Baccarat, Champagne, Eve's Club and Au Ma Cabane.  She became famous for her beauty and flawless covers of American popular songs such as Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Black Is Black and Until It's Time for You to Go.

Jeannie Mai on Paris by Night

Jeannie Mai left Saigon in 1974 for Paris where she spent several years continuing with her singing career.  In the early 1980s, she resettled to the United States first in Southern California to finally making her home in San Jose.  Throughout the 1980s, Jeannie Mai was one of the most popular live performers among Vietnamese singers.  In 1987, she along with Le Thu and Huong Lan performed on a successful tour of Australia.  In 1989, Jeannie Mai performed in Europe and appeared on Thuy Nga's Paris By Night video series with her rendition of Black Is Black.    

Unfortunately, Jeannie Mai met her untimely death during the summer of 1990 due to a cosmetic surgery procedure performed in Hawaii.  She left behind a husband and young son.  In 1991, Jeannie Mai's video performance of Sao Anh Không Đến Bên Em (Casablanca) was posthumously released by Thuy Nga on volume 12 of Paris By Night.  

Link(s):

50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of All Time

Bang Chau

Bang Chau (1955-    ) is a Vietnamese singer and film actress.  She first rose to prominence in South Vietnam as a singer in 1971 at the age of 16 when she scored her first big hit with the song, Qua Con Me, written for her by composer Trinh Lam Ngan.  That same year during the early fall season in Saigon, Bang Chau's acting debut in the film, Tran Thi Diem Chau, in which she costarred alongside legendary actor La Thoai Tan, would be released in movie theaters throughout South Vietnam and turned her into a star.

Born in Can Tho, South Vietnam, Bang Chau was the third eldest child in a family of ten.  While she was a teenager, Bang Chau became actively involved in music singing for various youth choir groups.  With the guidance from musicians/composers Chau Ky and Duy Khanh, Bang Chau was introduced into the music industry.  Her first professional recording was of a song written by Anh Viet Thu, Nho Nhau Hoai.  During the following years up until the Fall of Saigon, Bang Chau would record numerous songs for both of her mentor's record labels, Chau Ky's Tieng Thuy Duong and Duy Khanh's Truong Son.  Her acting career also continued to flourish as she appeared in three more major motion pictures produced in pre-communist South Vietnam:  Truong Toi (1973) starring Quoc Dung, Thanh Mai, Xuan Phat and Thanh Lan, Bon Thuy Thu So Ma (1974) and Nam Vua He Ve Lang (1974), a comedy with an all-star cast which included several Cinema of Saigon's key players such as La Thoai Tan, Tuy Hoa, Tham Thuy Hang, Thanh Nga, Thanh Duoc, and Phuong Hong Ngoc.  Bang Chau would become known as one of Cinema of Saigon's most beautiful actresses.


After the Fall of Saigon, Bang Chau remained in Vietnam for several years.  In 1977, she acted in her last major motion picture in Vietnam entitled as Moi Tinh Dau (First Love) starring The Anh, Tra Giang and Nhu Quynh.  The following year Bang Chau would leave her native homeland to immigrate to the United States where she first lived in Utah for several months prior to permanently resettling in Southern California.  In the United States, Bang Chau continued fervently with her music career throughout the 1980s and 1990s recording for several major overseas Vietnamese music production labels like Lang Van, Thuy Nga Paris, Thanh Lan, Diem Xua and Thuy Anh and performed weekly at Vietnamese cabarets such as Maxim's and Caravelle located in Orange County, Southern California.  She achieved further success as a performer of Southern Vietnamese opera known as cai luong.  In the 1980s, Bang Chau appeared in several cai luong video productions for Thuy Nga Paris.  In 1988, she was cast in the cai luong live production of Tam Long Cua Bien alongside veteran performers Thanh Duoc, Viet Hung,  Huu Phuoc, Dung Thanh Lam, Huong Lan and Phuong Mai where they played at the Anaheim Convention Center to a packed audience of over 7,000 that were in attendance.

During the 1990s, Bang Chau still managed to continue in both of her careers as singer and actress.    Her last recorded studio album to date, Em, was released in 1996 under the music production label, Ha Trang.  In 1994, Bang Chau starred in a Hai Dang video production of the comedy skit Share Phong Lon - Share Tinh Lam (Sharing the Wrong Room and the Wrong Lover) alongside actress/singer Mai Le Huyen. In 1995, she costarred in the Charlie Nguyen directorial film debut, Thời Hùng Vương 18, with Thuy Vi and Joseph Hieu.  During the latter part of the 1990s, for several years Bang Chau co-hosted a Vietnamese language radio talk show called Saigon Cali Radio Hai Ngoai on 106.3 FM with Quoc Thai, singer and former member of the popular Vietnamese music group, May Bon Phuong.

Bang Chau remains active both as an actress and singer to this day.  She is a mother of two grown children.

Link(s):

50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of All Time

Xuan Lan

Xuan Lan (1978-    ) is considered Vietnam's first supermodel.  Born on August 12, 1978 in Quang Ninh, Northern Vietnam, Xuan Lan began her modeling career while still a teenager in the early 1990s.  By 1996, she reached her career peak as a fashion model and was often dubbed as the Kate Moss of Vietnam.  In addition to modeling, Xuan Lan has also acted in several Vietnamese films.  Her most popular film role was in Nhung Co Gai Chan Dai (Long Legged Gals) (2004).  She has served on the panel of judges on the popular television program, Vietnam's Next Top Model, during its second, third and fourth seasons in the years 2011, 2012 and 2014, respectively.

After a whirlwind courtship that lasted for several years with singer Hoang Thanh, Xuan Lan shocked the media press of Vietnam when she married director Nguyen Thanh Nam on August 10, 2009.  The wedding was held in a lavish ceremony at the White Palace in Ho Chi Minh City.  Among the star-studded guests in attendance included Ho Ngoc Ha, Tang Thanh Ha, Quang Dung and Jennifer Pham.  On November 1, 2013, Xuan Lan became a mother to a daughter nicknamed as Be Tho, which translates as Bunny in English.

Xuan Lan (right) holds her daughter, Be Tho,
 in a photo taken with Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen (left)
 in Ho Chi Minh City (9/2015)

Fashion Designer Do Manh Cuong and Xuan Lan

Link(s):

50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of All Time

Cam Ly

Cam Ly (1971-    ) is a Vietnamese singer.  Born in Saigon, Cam Ly is the third eldest in a family of 6 children.  She has two sisters who are also singers, Minh Tuyet and Ha Phuong.

Cam Ly began her professional singing career in 1993 for Kim Loi Studio together with her younger sister, Minh Tuyet.  In 1996, Minh Tuyet moved to the United States as a foreign exchange student.  That same year, Cam Ly took a break from singing due to health reasons.  The following year, she along with singer Dan Truong recorded an album together, Neu Phoi Pha Ngay Mai.  In 2000, Cam Ly released her solo album, Mai Khong Phai.  

In the following years, Cam Ly has also recorded an album of Vietnamese folk songs, Em Gai Que (2004).  She has recorded a total of 12 solo studio albums.  Cam Ly's voice has often been compared to that of the late legendary Ngoc Lan.  Among her most popular albums include Con Mo Hoang Duong (2001), Nguoi Oi!  Hay Chia Tay (2005) and Bien Trang Pha Le (2010).

Happily married to Minh Vy, the owner of Kim Loi Productions, Cam Ly resides in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.  She is considered one of the wealthiest Vietnamese entertainers today.

Link(s):

Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 2
Cam Ly on Facebook

Dany Carrel

Dany Carrel (1932-    ) is a legendary actress of French cinema, television and theater.  Born in Tourane, French Indochina (now renamed as DaNang, Vietnam) to a Vietnamese mother and a French father, her given name at birth was Yvonne Chazelles du Chaxel.

In 1953, Dany Carrel made her acting debut in a film called Dortoir des Grandes (Inside a Gils' Dormitory).  She first gained international prominence with her role as Maria in the film, Porte de Lilas (The Gates of Paris) (1957).  Dany Carrel went on to star in over 40 films throughout her career.  Known for her beauty and exotic Eurasian features, during the 1950s and 1960s Dany Carrel had become a sex symbol among movie audiences in countries within the Francophonie.   In 1969, she starred in Delphine, a film directed by Vietnamese-French filmmaker Eric Le Hung.  Among her most popular films include Escapade (1957),  Le Moulin des Supplices (Mill of the Stone Women) (1960), Les Ennemis (The Enemies) (1962), L'Enfer (Inferno) (1964), Piège Pour Cendrillon (A Trap for Cinderella) (1965) and Clérambard (1969).


During the 1970s and 1980s, Dany Carrel shifted from the big screen to television starring in television films such as La Voleuse de Londres (1974), Le Féminin Pluriel (1982), La Rescousse (1982), Merci Sylvestre (1983) and Le Saut du Lit (1989).  Dany Carrel has also appeared on numerous plays on the French theater.  Her most popular play was Marcel Achard's L'Idiote where she played the lead role of Josefa first in 1962 replacing actress Anie Girardot and again in her reprisal in 1971.  Dany Carrel's last theater performance to date was in 1994 in the play written by Yves Jamiaque, Laisse Parler Ta Mère.  

Dany Carrel wrote and published her autobiography in 1991 entitled L'Annamite (The Vietnamese) which has been made into a television movie.

Link(s):

20 International Celebrities You Didn't Know Are Vietnamese
50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of all Time

Tyga

Tyga (1989-    ) is an American rap artist.of Vietnamese and Jamaican descent.

Born on November 19, 1989 as Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson in Compton, California, he grew up listening to the likes of Fabolous, Lil Wayne, Cam'ron and Eminem.  Tyga first came to prominence after the release of his first studio album, No Introduction, in 2008 which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 charted hit single, Coconut Juice.  Since then, he has had three major Top Ten hit singles, recorded a total of 4 studio albums, been nominated for a Grammy Award, and in 2012 signed with Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records.  That same year, Tyga had won a MuchMusic Video Award in the category of MuchVIBE Hip-Hop Video of the Year for his work in The Motto with Drake and Lil Wayne.

Tyga and his mother, Passion Nguyen

Among Tyga's biggest hit singles include BedRock, Rack City and Loyal, all three of which were RIAA certified platinum with having sold at least 1 million copies each.  Both BedRock and Rack City had gone  multi-platinum; certified 6x platinum and 4x platinum, respectively.  In 2010, Tyga along with Kevin McCall were featured artists on a Chris Brown single, Deuces, which became a number one hit on the R&B singles chart.  With such commercial success through the past years, Tyga has become one of the most respected rap artists in the music industry.

Kylie Jenner and Tyga 

Recently Tyga's name has been linked to reality television star, Kylie Jenner, daughter of Bruce Jenner, in the media press.  Their relationship has sparked quite a bit of controversy due to their differences in age.  Tyga is a 25 year old man, while Kylie Jenner is a 17 year old minor.  Prior to his relationship with Kylie Jenner, Tyga was involved with urban model/stripper Blac Chyna, who is the mother of his son, King Cairo Stevenson, born on October 16, 2012.



Link(s):

20 International Celebrities You Didn't Know Are Vietnamese
Tyga Official Website

50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of All Time

Here are 50 of the most beautiful Vietnamese women of all time listed in alphabetical order.  Click here for our list of 20 Most Handsome Vietnamese Men of All Time.

Click here to see Another 50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of All Time.

Update:  Click here to see 30 Most Beautiful Viet Celebs of 2015.

Update:  Click here to see 30 Sexiest Vietnamese Celebs of 2016.

Update:  Click here to see 20 Hottest Viet Celebs of 2017.

1. Ai Van - Overseas Vietnamese Singer and Former Cinema of Hanoi Actress

2. Anh Duong - International Fashion Model, Painter and Actress of Vietnamese and Spanish Descent

3. Bang Chau - Singer and Former Cinema of Saigon Film Actress

4. Bebe Pham - Fashion Model in Present Day Vietnam

5. Betty Nguyen - NBC News Anchorwoman, Amerasian of Vietnamese and Anglo-American Parentage

6. Christy Chung - Former Hong Kong Cinema Actress and Restaurateur

7. Dai Trang - Overseas Vietnamese Singer of French and Vietnamese Descent

8. Dany Carrel - French Cinema Screen Legend of French and Vietnamese Descent

9. Diane Fleri - Italian Cinema Actress born in France to French national mother of Vietnamese descent and Italian national father of Estonian descent.

10. Diem Lien - Overseas Vietnamese Singer and Actress

11. France Nuyen - Hollywood Cinema and Television Actress of French and Vietnamese Descent 

12. Ho Ngoc Ha - Vietnamese Singer, Model and Actress

13. Jane March - Film Actress of British and Vietnamese Descent

14. Jeannie Mai - Late Eurasian French-Vietnamese Singer

15. Jennifer Pham - Vietnamese-American Former Beauty Queen 

16. Julie Quang - Vietnamese Pop Singer of Vietnamese and East Indian Descent

17. Kim Loan - Vietnamese Singer and Former Cinema of Saigon Actress

18. Kim Ngan - Overseas Vietnamese New Wave Singer of the 1980s

19. Kim Vui - Legendary Cinema of Saigon Screen Goddess

20. Lam Thuy Van - Overseas Vietnamese Singer of Vietnamese and Pakistani Descent

21. Leslie - French Pop Singer of French, Polynesian and Vietnamese Descent 

22. Leyna Nguyen - Television News Anchorwoman

23. Loan Chau - Overseas Vietnamese Singer 

24.  Luu Bich - Overseas Vietnamese Singer 

25. Maggie Q - Hong Kong and Hollywood Film Actress of Vietnamese and Polish Descent

26. Mary Xinh Nguyen - Winner of Revlon's Most Unforgettable Woman Award, Amerasian, Former Model and Attorney

27. Mong Tuyen - Vietnamese Stage and Film Actress

28. My Huyen - Overseas Vietnamese Singer

29. Navia Nguyen - International Fashion Model 

30. Ngo Thanh Van - Vietnamese Singer and Film Actress

31. Ngoc Lan - Late Overseas Vietnamese Singer

32. Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen - Overseas Vietnamese Personality and Hostess of Paris By Night 

33. Nhat Ha - Overseas Vietnamese Singer, Model and Actress 

34. Nhu Quynh - Overseas Vietnamese Singer 

35. Olivia Munn - Hollywood Film and Television Actress of Chinese-Vietnamese and Irish Descent

36. Shayla - Vietnamese-American Singer 

37. Tang Thanh Ha - Vietnamese Actress and Model 

38. Tham Thuy Hang - Legendary Screen Goddess of Cinema of Saigon 

39. Than Thuy Ha - Vietnamese Film and Television Actress

40. Thanh Ha - Overseas Vietnamese Singer of Vietnamese and German-American Descent

41. Thanh Hang - Overseas Vietnamese Model and Actress 

42. Thanh Lan - Vietnamese Singer and Former Cinema of Saigon Actress 

43. Thanh Nga - Late Legendary "Cai Luong" Vietnamese Opera and Film Actress 

44. Thanh Thuy - Vietnamese Singer and Actress 

45. Thuy Tien - Overseas Vietnamese Singer 

46. Tiana Alexandra - Hollywood Film Actress and Filmmaker 

47. Trizzie Phuong Trinh - Overseas Vietnamese Singer

48. Tuy Phuong - Late Film Actress of Saigon and Singer Known as Queen of the Twist

49. Y Lan - Overseas Vietnamese Singer

50. Xuan Lan - Fashion Model of Vietnam