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Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Bao Thy



Bảo Thy (1988-    ) is a famous Vietnamese singer and actress.

Born as Trần Thị Thúy Loan on June 2, 1988 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, she grew up in a family of three children.  Since her early childhood, she had been given the nickname, Lona.  At the age of 12, her parents enrolled her at Suối Nhạc Music Academy in Ho Chi Minh City where she would study vocals and piano for two years.  During her adolescence, Bảo Thy participated in various youth music troupes such as Sao Băng, Blue stars, SBS and Angels with minor success.  At the age of 18, Bảo Thy would finally reach national prominence through the internet when she was voted as one of the ten most beautiful young women in a poll known as Võ Lâm Truyền Kỳ conducted through the website, VinaGame (now renamed as VNG.com).  Bảo Thy along with Hải Yến had tied for the highest total number of votes and were both offered parts in the film by the same name produced by Phước Sang starring Đan TrườngKim Thư, Chi Bảo, Hoài Linh and Vũ Thu Phương.  Unfortunately, due to schedule conflicts and certain matters involving production, neither Bảo Thy nor Hải Yến were featured in the film which ended up being released two years later.  Immediately after Võ Lâm Truyền Kỳ, Bảo Thy was voted again on another internet poll known as Miss Audition as one of the ten most beautiful young women of Vietnam.  At the Miss Audition event held in Hanoi during the summer of that same year, Bảo Thy dazzled the audience with her duet performances with singer Vương Khang of the songs, 10 Minutes and Please Tell Me Why in Vietnamese lyrics in which she had also written.  Toward the end of 2007, Bảo Thy accepted an offer to host an online music video program, Hành Trình Âm Nhạc.  She would then go on to become the hostess of many other internet gameshows and music video programs in Vietnam such as Nào Ta Cùng Hát, Hành Trình Kết Nối Những Trái Tim and Album Vàng.  Bảo Thy's face had also been chosen to grace the home screen pages on the Eee PC mini laptop manufactured by ASUS, Samsung wireless phone and Rexona.

Prior to the release of her duet studio album recorded with singer Quang VinhNgôi Nhà Hoa Hồng (2008), Bảo Thy had enjoyed a series of successful hit singles released by Bến Thành Audio particularly with Công Chúa Bong Bóng (Bubble Gum Princess), the song often credited for having launched her singing career.  On her 20th birthday, she performed to a sold-out intimate audience of 400 in a live concert show held in Ho Chi Minh City entitled as Balloon Party.  Two months later, Bảo Thy's debut solo studio album, Có Bao Giờ... Em Sai, was released by the record label, Saigon Media.  While recording Có Bao Giờ... Em Sai, Bảo Thy was offered the lead role in a feature film called Nữ Sinh Quý Tộc, which was to be directed by Lê Hoàng for Thiên Ngân Film Studios.  Unfortunately, just days prior to principal shooting, the project ended up being shelved.

Bảo Thy's film debut finally took place with her portrayal of the lead character, Britney Bích, in the 2010 blockbuster, Công Chúa Teen và Ngũ Hổ Tướng, which grossed over $1 million USD.  The film was directed by Lê Lộc and produced by Phước Sang Film Studios.  Among the cast members included Yến Trang, Hoài Linh, Tấn Beo, Chí Tài, Khổng Tú Quỳnh and Đông Nhi.  Bảo Thy recorded five songs for the film's soundtrack.  For her acting debut on Vietnam's silver screen, Bảo Thy was honored with a Cánh Diều Vàng (Golden Kite Award) for Most Promising Newcomer

For her sophomore effort, Bảo Thy scored another tremendous success with Ký Ức Của Mưa (2010).  This album would earn her 3 Zing Music Awards.  More than a year would pass before she would release her next studio album entitled as Special Album on November of 2011.  In 2012, she starred in her second feature film, Gia Sư Nữ Quái, alongside Trấn Thành, Chí Tài, Hoài Linh and Dương Cẩm Lynh.  On December of 2014, Bảo Thy returned with a live show performance, Tôi Tỏa Sáng, in Ho Chi Minh City with singer Cao Thái Sơn and also released a music video of a song she had written, Single Lady.  In 2015, she recorded the Vietnamese version of the theme song to the Hong Kong drama thriller film, Line Walker, entitled as Càng Khó Càng Yêu, and released the music video to her single, I'm Sorry, Babe, in which she had written the lyrics, herself.  In 2016, Bảo Thy recorded, wrote and released three more singles, Con Tim Anh Nằm Đâu, Lonely and Quay Lưng Đi.  Bảo Thy has also recorded duets with singers Đăng Khôi, Bùi Anh Tuấn, Isaac, Only C, Dương Triệu Vũ and Lam Trường.

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Monday, March 27, 2017

Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 4


This is part 4 of our Vietnamese Celebrity Homes series.  These are the beautiful homes belonging to some of the wealthiest Vietnamese celebrities around the world.



Thúy Nga's daughter, Nguyệt Cát, posing in front of her home in Orange County, California
1. Thúy Nga has been one of the highest paid Vietnamese comedic actresses for more than a decade.  She has two beautiful homes:  one in Orange County, California and the other in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.  Her daughter, Nguyệt Cát, is photographed in front of her Orange County, California home.




 Thúy Nga in her garden at her Ho Chi Minh City home

Interior of Thúy Nga's home in Ho Chi Minh City


2. Vietnamese film actress/director Việt Trinh owns this serene country house in Bình Dương Province of Southern Vietnam.  True to her devout Buddhist faith, a statue of the Quan Âm Buddha stands at the entrance.




Việt Trinh sitting in the garden of her Binh Duong home



Bình Minh and his family in their living room


Bình Minh and his daughter,  An Nhiên, in his kitchen
3. Actor Bình Minh, his wife,  Anh Thơ, and their two daughters, An Nhiên and An Như, call this deluxe penthouse in Ho Chi Minh City home.

4. Singer Hồ Quỳnh Hương is one of the richest women in Vietnamese showbiz.  She is the CEO of her own music production label, Black Noir Entertainment.  Still single, she lives by herself in this luxurious mansion in Hanoi.














5. Vietnamese Actress Phi Thanh Vân lives in this modest 3-story house in Ho Chi Minh City.  In addition to her successful acting career, this twice-divorced young mother is also CEO of Phi Thanh Vân Spa and skin care empire in Ho Chi Minh City.


Interior of Phi Thanh Vân's home in Ho Chi Minh City
Backyard of Phi Thanh Vân's home

6. Singer Quang Dũng is the owner of this $1 million USD house in Ho Chi Minh City.

Living room of Quang Dũng's home in Ho Chi Minh City 

Quang Dũng relaxing over his coy fish pond

In addition, Quang Dũng has recently purchased another house in Orange County, California at the beginning of 2018 as a birthday gift for his 10-year-old son, Bảo Nam, priced at just under $1 million USD.

Singer Quang Dũng's 10-year-old son, Bảo Nam,
 poses in front of the birthday gift given to him by his father...
 A brand new house!  







7. Actress/businesswoman Vũ Thu Phương and her husband own this fabulous 6-story home located in the first district of Ho Chi Minh City.  The first floor houses her boutique called Phoenix V.




Living room of Vũ Thu Phương's 6-story house in Ho Chi Minh City 

Garden in Backyard of Vũ Thu Phương's Home


8. Comedienne Hồng Vân and husband, actor Lê Tuấn Anh, along with their 3 children live in this French colonial-style mansion located in the Phu Nhuan District of Ho Chi Minh City.  She is also the owner of a playhouse theater, San Khau Kich Phu Nhuan.  
Even at Hồng Vân's residence, there is a banner advertising for her playhouse theater.  



Hồng Vân holds her youngest daughter, Bí Ngô,
while her son, Trê Phi, lounges in her family room,
 


9. Actor Chi Bảo and his wife are owners of two beautiful homes in Vietnam.  The first is an elegant mansion in Ho Chi Minh City.  And the other is a deluxe penthouse just recently purchased in Hanoi.  


Backyard of Chi Bảo's Ho Chi Minh City mansion
Living Room of Chi Bảo's Ho Chi Minh City mansion
Living room of Chi Bảo's penthouse in Hanoi

10. Actress/singer Minh Hằng is one of the wealthiest entertainers in Vietnam today.  She owns this million dollar mansion in Ho Chi Minh City.  



Minh Hằng posing in her dining room 

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Nikolai Kinski


Nikolai Kinski (1976-    ) is a famous French-American film actor of Vietnamese and German descent.  He is the son of actor Klaus Kinski and younger half-brother of actresses, Nastassja Kinski and Pola Kinski.

Born on July 30, 1976 in Paris France, he grew up primarily in Southern California.  His parents divorced in 1979.  Nikolai Kinski made his acting debut in the Italian-French film, Paganini, in 1989. He attended UCLA during the mid 1990s where he majored in theater.  He later moved to Berlin where he has starred in several German television series.  Nikolai Kinski speaks French, English and German fluently,

Among his most popular films have included Jamila (1994), West Coast (2000), Tortilla Soup (2001), Never Get Outta the Boat (2002), The Devil Who Called Himself God (2002), Dirty Sky (2003), Connecting Dots (2003), Æon Flux (2005) starring Charlize Theron, Grimm Love (2006), Fay Grim (2006), Die zwei Leben des Daniel Shore (2009), Yves Saint Laurent (2014), Posthumous (2014), Die Innere Zone (2014), 1915 (2015), Point Break (2015), Axolotl Blockbuster (2016), The Loner (2016) and The Yellow Birds (2017).  In 2006, Nikolai Kinski won the Romy Gala Award for Best Newcomer.  He had also been nominated for an Undine Award for Best Young Character Actor for his portrayal of Egon Schiele in the film, Klimt (2006).

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Friday, March 24, 2017

Thuy Nga

Thúy Nga (1976-    ) is a famous Vietnamese comedic actress.

Trần Thị Thúy Nga was born on August 5, 1976 in Quảng Ngãi, Vietnam and is the eldest in a family of two children.  Both her parents were highly educated professionals.  Her father was a civil engineer, while her mother was a physician.  From an early age, despite discouragement from her parents Thúy Nga dreamed of one day pursuing a career as an actress.  She also had dreams of becoming a singer, as well.  But those dreams were squashed when at the age of 13, a mysterious ailment left her permanently deaf in her left ear.  At the age of 18, she left her hometown of Quảng Ngãi after graduating from high school and relocated to Ho Chi Minh City where she would enroll at Trường Cao Đẳng Sân Khấu & Điện Ảnh (National Academy of Theatrical & Film Arts).  After graduating with a degree in drama from the Academy of Theatrical & Film Arts, Ho Chi Minh City, in 1997, Thúy Nga struggled to find work as an actress for the next several years.  After facing rejection after rejection at countless auditions, she considered putting aside her dreams of becoming an actress and began learning another craft in order to earn a living.  She found work as a seamstress while attending a trade school to become a tailor.  Just before completion of tailoring school, an opportunity in the field of entertainment came knocking at her door.  After a chance meeting with comedienne Hồng Vân in 2000, Thúy Nga was recruited as a troupe performer at her comedy theater, Sân Khấu Kịch Phú Nhuận.    

Since the year 2000, Thúy Nga has become one of the most successful comedic actresses of Vietnam.  She found her niche in portraying parodies of wacky, wise-cracking old ladies such as Bà Già Bán Khoai Nướng (The Old Lady Selling Roasted Sweet Potatoes).  With the ability to speak authentically in all three major dialects of the Vietnamese language, Thúy Nga easily became a fan favorite with audiences in all three regions of Vietnam.  In 2001, she was cast in her first feature film, Chiếc Chìa Khoá Vàng, a war epic comedy directed by Lê Hoàng and starred Mỹ Duyên and Tạ Ngọc Bảo.  From 2003 to 2005, for three consecutive seasons Thúy Nga appeared on the highly-rated Gala Cười television variety comedy show performing in such comedy sketches with Hồng Vân in Dạy Con, with Phú Quý, Văn Duy, Kim Huyền, Hương Hà and Nguyệt Minh in Cha Nào Con Nấy and with Quốc Thuận in Cầu DuyênMẹ Vợ Sành Điệu, Cô Gái Bán Khoai and Ôm Xe.  In 2004, she was honored with a Mai Vàng Award (Golden Orchid Award) for Best Comedic Actress for her performance in the comedy sketch, Cầu Duyên.  Thúy Nga has appeared in several other comedy feature films which include Lá Chúc Thư (2003), Khi Đàn Ông Có Bầu (When a Man Gets Pregnant) (2005) starring Nguyễn Phi Hùng, Kim Thư, Hồng Nga, Tấn Beo, Trương Ngọc Ánh, Bảo Quốc, Ngọc Giàu and Phương Thanh, Đẻ Mướn (Giving Hired Birth) (2005) starring Chi Bảo and Hà Kiều AnhLấy Vợ Sài Gòn (Marrying a Saigonese) (2005) starring Minh Thư, Nguyên Vũ and Hiền Thục, Hai Lúa (2014) with Trấn Thành, Thanh Nam and Diễm Hương and Bộ Ba Rắc Rối (2015) starring Kathy Uyên and Hoàng Oanh.

In 2009, Thúy Nga made her debut appearance on volume 96 of the popular live show video series, Paris By Night, which is produced by the overseas Vietnamese production studio coincidentally of the same name as hers, Thúy Nga, in a comedy sketch, Áo Em Chưa Mặc Một Lần (written by Nguyễn Ngọc Ngạn) alongside Chí Tài, Bằng Kiều and Bé Tí.  The overwhelming response from viewer audiences of the video series prompted the producers of Paris By Night to invite the comedic actress to return on volume 98 that same year with another performance in a comedy sketch written by Nguyễn Ngọc Ngạn, Trẻ Mãi Không Già, alongside Hương Thủy, Chí Tài and Bé Tí.  On January 10, 2009, Thúy Nga married Vietnamese-American businessman, Nguyễn Văn Nam, and resettled to Southern California shortly thereafter.  That same year, she was also honored with an HTV Award in Vietnam for Best Comedian of the Year.  On May 3, 2011, Thúy Nga gave birth to a daughter she named Nguyệt Cát, who would later join her mother on several performances for Paris By Night.  In 2014, her marriage ended in divorce.  

Chí Tài and Thúy Nga
Thúy Nga has maintained a continuous collaboration with Thúy Nga Productions appearing in a total of 22 volumes of the Paris By Night video series to date.  Among the various performers she has worked with in comedy sketches featured on the Paris By Night stage include Việt Hương, Trường Giang, Hoài Linh, Quang Minh, Hồng Đào and Nguyễn Cao Kỳ Duyên.  In 2013, she took her live show, Xin Lỗi Em Chỉ Là... Con Quỷ, on the road performing for Vietnamese audiences all over the United States, Canada, France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Australia and Vietnam.  That same year,  Thúy Nga returned for another season on Gala Cười in a comedy sketch, Bà Ngoại Thời @ with Hiếu Hiền, Diễm Hương and Đức Thịnh.  In 2015, Thúy Nga Productions released the DVD of her live show, Xin Lỗi Em Chỉ Là... Con Quỷ, complete with comedy sketches she performed alongside Bé Tí, Vũ Quang Trung, Nguyên Khoa, Minh Nhí, Văn Ruy, Minh Dũng, Leon Vũ, Mỹ Ngân, Bảo Quốc, Chí Tài, Trang Thanh Lan, Hữu Nghĩa and Calvin Hiệp along with musical performances by Thúy Nga, herself, Trịnh Nam Sơn, Tuấn Vũ, Trizzie Phương Trinh and Hương Lan.  Currently, she is working on the 11th season of Gala Cười.

Link(s):

Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 4

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Xuan Phat


Xuân Phát (1932-2014) was a famous Vietnamese actor of stage and film.  He was married to actress Mỹ Lệ and together were parents of Vietnamese-American actor Dustin Nguyễn.

Nguyễn Xuân Phát was born in Saigon, South Vietnam in 1932.  Prior to 1975, Xuân Phát was one of the most prominent actors of the stage in South Vietnam.  Among his most popular stage plays while in South Vietnam included Đắc Kỷ Ho Gà, Tình Chú Thoàng, Tình Anh Bảy Chà and Tiết Giao Đoạt Ngọc.  Among his most popular films prior to the Fall of Saigon include Mưa Rừng (1971) starring Kim Cương, Kiều Chinh, Lê Quỳnh and Ngọc PhuChân Trời Tím (The Purple Horizon) (1971) starring Hùng Cường, Kim Vui, Ngọc Đức and Mộng Tuyền and Trường Tôi (1973) starring Tuyết Lan, Băng ChâuQuốc Dũng, Thanh Lan and Thanh Mai.

Mai Lệ Huyền and Xuân Phát in Đêm Sài Gòn 1
at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada
(Asia Entertainment - 1992)
Upon the Fall of Saigon, Xuân Phát and his family emigrated from South Vietnam to the United States.  For many years after resettling in Southern California, he traveled around the United States entertaining for overseas Vietnamese communities with fellow performers Túy Hồng, La Thoại Tân and Trúc Mai.  In 1992, Xuân Phát performed in a comedy sketch, Duyên Kỳ Ngộ, with Mai Lệ Huyền and Văn Chung on Asia Entertainment's live show video series, Đêm Sài Gòn 1, filmed at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.  In 2000, Xuân Phát performed a comedy sketch, Chuyện Chú Sồi, on volume 18 of the popular live show video series produced by Vân Sơn Entertainment entitled as Sân Khấu & Nụ Cười.  The following year, Xuân Phát returned for volume 19 of the popular live show video series produced by Vân Sơn Entertainment appearing in a musical comedy sketch, Thằng Bờm, alongside Vân Sơn, Bảo Liêm, Quang Minh, Hồng Đào, Bích Tuyền and Văn Chung.  In 2013, he costarred in his last film, Lửa Phật (Once Upon in Vietnam).  Produced and directed by his son, Dustin Nguyễn, the film also starred Ngô Thanh Vân, Roger Yuan, Thái Hòa, Ngọc Diệp, Hiếu Hiền, Phi Thanh Vân and his wife, Mỹ Lệ.

Xuân Phát and his wife, actress Mỹ Lệ
On June 11, 2014, Xuân Phát passed away from heart disease at Coastal Communities Hospital in Orange County, California.  He was 82.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

ZaZa Minh Thao



ZaZa Minh Thảo (1965-    ) is a beautiful Vietnamese-American singer of dance, hip hop and techno music.

At the age of 10, ZaZa Minh Thảo left Vietnam with her family to resettle in the United States.  After high school, for a number of years she worked as an aerobics instructor.  Her love of dance and music eventually steered her to the world of entertainment.  Finally at the age of 25, ZaZa Minh Thảo embarked on her career as a professional overseas Vietnamese singer.  She collaborated as a recording artist and video performer for various overseas Vietnamese production labels such as Giáng NgọcMây ProductionsTuấn Anh Productions (headed by singer Tuấn Anhand Vân Sơn Entertainment .  Due to her striking beauty, ZaZa Minh Thảo graced the covers of many Vietnamese magazines and calendars during the 1990s.  In 1993, she starred alongside Thanh Lan and Công Hùng in Tình Người, a film produced and directed by Lê Tuấn

ZaZa Minh Thảo and Công Hùng
in Tình Người (1993)
ZaZa Minh Thảo is one of the founding members of Ngũ Long Công Chúa, a quintet singing group, along with Giáng NgọcNgọc AnhThúy Vi and Lynda Trang Đài.  In 1993, she made her first appearance as part of Ngũ Long Công Chúa on volume 6 of the Hollywood Night series produced by Mây Productions.  Their immense popularity with viewer audiences caused the owners of Mây Productions to invite the group back to perform on several more volumes of the live show music video series.  Eventually, the group would experience changes in both personnel with added members Yến MaiNgọc Dung and Phượng Thúy, as well as their name to Ma Nữ Đa Tình.  In 1995, ZaZa Minh Thảo performed with other members of the quartet, Ma Nữ Đa Tình, a rendition of the classic song, Italian Mambo, and in a comedy/musical sketch with Vân Sơn on volume 2 of the live show video series produced by Vân Sơn Entertainment, Đại Chiến Ma Nữ Đa Tình.  

Throughout the 1990s, ZaZa Minh Thảo was one of the most in-demand overseas Vietnamese-American singers of dance music.  She performed regularly at the Can Nightclub in Garden Grove, California for many years.  Her explosive high energy-packed style of performing also led her to numerous live shows for overseas Vietnamese audiences worldwide.  In 1996, ZaZa Minh Thảo released Tìm Đâu, her studio album recorded with Trung Hành and Kenny Thái at a sold-out one-night engagement held at the Majestic in Huntington Beach, California.


ZaZa Minh Thảo at the Majestic (1996)
In the early 2000s, ZaZa Minh Thảo decided to put aside her music career and shifted her focus into real estate.  Although she has since achieved success in the field of real estate, ZaZa Minh Thảo has not retired from singing altogether as she still performs at live shows sporadically.








Link(s):

Another 50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of All Time