Jowan Le Besco

Jowan Le Besco (1981-    ) is a French cinema actor, scriptwriter and cameraman.

Born on August 26, 1981 in Paris, France, Jowan Le Besco is of French, Algerian, Breton and Vietnamese descent.  His mother is French-Algerian actress Catherine Belkhodja.  He is the younger brother of actress Maiwenn and older brother of actress Isild Le Besco.

Jowan Le Besco during the making of Yapo (2007)

Jowan Le Besco studied cinema at the Paris Sorbonne University of Jussieu.  He starred in several French feature films including La Puce (1999), Un Moment de Bonheur (2002) and Princesse Marie (2004) starring Catherine Deneuve and his sister, Isild Le Besco.  Jowan Le Besco was the director, scriptwriter, editor and cameraman for the film, Yapo (2007). 

Ngoc Ha

Ngọc Hạ (1980-    ) is a famous overseas Vietnamese singer.  Blessed with a high mezzo soprano range, she has often been dubbed as today's answer to legendary Vietnamese songstress Thái Thanh.

Born as Nguyễn Kim Tuyến on December 23, 1980 in Hội An, Vietnam, she grew up as the youngest in a family of seven children.  At the age of 16, Ngọc Hạ entered and became a finalist in the nationally televised Tiếng Hát Truyền Thanh TP. Hồ Chí Minh talent show.  The following year, Ngọc Hạ placed second and took first prize in the Tiếng Hát Truyền Hình Đồng Nai and the Tiếng Hát Truyền Hình Bình Dương talent shows, respectively.  In 1997, Ngọc Hạ took the silver medal award in the annual talent competition sponsored by Nhà Văn Hóa Phụ Nữ Sài Gòn (Saigon Women's Arts Association).

On March of 2000, Ngọc Hạ and her family left Vietnam for the United States resettling in Northern California.  Two years later, Ngọc Hạ signed with the Thúy Nga label and made her debut appearance on volume 63 of the popular Paris By Night video series performing the song, Mái Đình Làng Biển (written by Nguyễn Cường).  On volume 64 of the Paris By Night video series, Đêm Văn Nghệ Thính Phòng, Ngọc Hạ performed the song, Nhớ Nhau (written by Tuấn Khanh).  On volume 65 of the Paris By Night video series, Ngọc Hạ performed the song, Buồn Tàn Thu (written by Văn Cao), which turned her into a household name among Vietnamese communties worldwide.

By 2006, Ngọc Hạ became a freelance artist performing for various overseas labels such as Asia Entertainment, Vân Sơn Entertainment and Tình Productions.  Ngọc Hạ has performed duets with many other artists including Quang Lê, Trần Thái Hoà, Nguyên Khang, Lâm Nhật Tiến and Thanh Lam.  Ngọc Hạ has performed live in concert for Vietnamese audiences all over the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.  

Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 7b

Here are the beautiful homes owned by 5 Vietnamese celebrities.


1. Comedic actor Nhật Cường is the owner of this colorful mansion located in the Bình Thạnh district of Ho Chi Minh City.

Living Room Inside Home of Nhật Cường

Dining Room Inside Home of Nhật Cường

2. Singer Vy Oanh, prior to getting married to wealthy Vietnamese-American businessman Lê Thiện, had made her residence in this modest home she had purchased located in Ho Chi Minh City near Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport.  This is where she had built her own recording studio which has since acquired an impressive clientele of some of the biggest names in the Vietnamese music industry.

Vy Oanh standing at the front door entrance of her home near Tân Sơn Nhất Airport  

Vy Oanh posing in her recording studio 

Interior of Vy Oanh's home near Tân Sơn Nhất Airport

Now happily married, Vy Oanh and her husband along with their young son reside in this million dollar property located on the other side of town in Ho Chi Minh City.  This luxurious 4-story mansion even contains an indoor swimming pool.

Vy Oanh and her husband, Vietnamese-American businessman Lê Thiện, have chosen this extravagant mansion in Ho Chi Minh City to raise their young son.  

Vy Oanh's son and his friend playing in the living room 

Dining room of Vy Oanh's mansion  

Indoor swimming pool at Vy Oanh's mansion 

3. This is where actor Kinh Quốc resides whenever he is town to shoot a feature film or television series.  The actor had purchased this 4-story home located in the 6th district of Ho Chi Minh City after he had shot to national fame with his portrayal of Sáu Miều in the critically acclaimed television mini-series, Đất Phương Nam (1997).  In addition to this house, Kinh Quốc and his wife also own a mansion in the beach resort town of Vũng Tàu.

Home of Actor Kinh Quốc

Living Room Inside Home of Actor Kinh Quốc

Kitchen Inside Home of Kinh Quốc

4. Purple seems to be the favorite color of comedian Hồng Tơ.  He and his current wife call this purple house located in Bình Chánh district of Ho Chi Minh City.  The exterior along with the interior are all in the color of purple.

5.  Former beauty queen-turned-television show hostess Thu Hương and her husband are owners of this fabulous mansion located on the 9th district of Ho Chi Minh City built in the traditional Vietnamese architecture.  

Thu Hương's Mansion in Ho Chi Minh City

Interior of Thu Hương's Mansion in Ho Chi Minh City

Link(s):

• Click here to see Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 1.
• Click here to see Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 2.
• Click here to see Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 3.
• Click here to see Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 4.
• Click here to see Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 5a.
• Click here to see Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 5b.
• Click here to see Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 6a.
• Click here to see Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 6b.
• Click here to see Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 7a.
• Click here to see Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 8a.

Anh Ngoc

Anh Ngọc (1925-    ) is a legendary Vietnamese pop male vocalist.

Originally from Hanoi, he was brought up in a family consisting of 9 children.  He had been given the full name, Từ Ngọc Toản, at birth.  His younger brother was the late singer Từ Ngọc Long.

In 1947, Anh Ngọc relocated to the imperial city of Huế where he worked as a singer for the local radio station for nearly two years at the personal invitation from singer Minh Trang.  In 1949,  Anh Ngọc relocated to Saigon and began working for Đài Phát Thanh Pháp Á (French Radio Broadcasting Network - Asia) as host and performer. This would be followed by stints at other radio broadcasting network programs based in Saigon such as Đài Phát Thanh Sài Gòn, Đài Mẹ Việt Nam, Đài Tiếng Nói Tự Do and Đài Truyền Hình Việt Nam.  His longest tenure was as host and performer on the radio program, Tiếng Nhạc Tâm Tình, from 1960 until the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975 where he had worked with the likes of famous Vietnamese singers such as Thái Thanh, Kim Tước, Mai Hương and Hà Thanh.

Anh Ngọc (left) and Musician Nhật Bằng (right) in 1965

Unlike many of his colleagues, Anh Ngọc remained in Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon for many years.  Finally, in 1990 Anh Ngọc left his native homeland to resettle in the United States.  During the first three years in the United States, Anh Ngọc lived in Orange County, California.  Since 1993, Anh Ngọc has taken up residence in Burke, Virginia.  He has since performed occasionally on live shows for Vietnamese audiences in various cities across the United States and Canada, but has refused all offers to take part on any audio recordings or music video appearances since the Fall of Saigon.

Prior to 1975, Anh Ngọc had been one of the most successful male recording artists in Saigon.  He had recorded for various record labels such as Continental, Việt Nam and Tâm Anh Nghệ Thuật.  Among his most popular recorded songs include Tà Áo Xanh (written by Đoàn Chuẩn), Kỷ Vật Cho Em (written by Phạm Duy), Biệt Ly (written by Dzoãn Mẫn) and Em Đến Thăm Anh Một Chiều Mưa (written by Tô Vũ).

Ngoc Hue

Ngọc Huệ (1968-    ) is a famous overseas Vietnamese singer.

From early on, Ngọc Huệ had taken a keen interest in performing arts.  While growing up in Saigon, she had already studied ballet and acting prior to reaching her teenage years.  From 1977 until 1979, Ngọc Huệ had taken voice lessons at Quốc Gia Âm Nhạc, University of Ho Chi Minh City, School of Fine Arts.  In 1981, she resettled in Sydney, Australia.  While in Australia, Ngọc Huệ began her career as a professional overseas Vietnamese singer.  In 1990, Ngọc Huệ resettled in the United States and began recording for such labels like New Castle Entertainment, Diễm Xưa, Hải Âu, Tektronic, Mai Productions and Thúy Nga.   In just one year, she was voted by Hồn Việt Magazine as "Giọng Ca Mới Của Năm 90" (New Singer of the Year in 1990).  She even formed her own production label called Fame Productions in the 1990s.  Ngọc Huệ has recorded duet albums with Anh Tú, Kỳ Anh, Don Hồ and Nhật Trường.

In 1992, Ngọc Huệ made her debut appearance on Thúy Nga's Paris By Night video series on volume 16 with a solo performance of Prisoner (written by Alan Nguyễn) along with a duet performance with Don Hồ of the song, Hạnh Phúc Trong Tim.  Throughout the 1990s, Ngọc Huệ was invited back on the Paris By Night video series on several occasions performing in duets with Don Hồ and Thái Tài.  Her last appearance to date on the series was on volume 55 in 2000 with a solo performance of the song, Thu Vàng Trên Lói (written by Khúc Lan).

Ngọc Huệ has performed live in concerts for Vietnamese audiences all over the United States, Canada, Europe including Russia, Australia and Vietnam. 

Link(s):

Another 50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of All Time

External Link(s):

NgocHue.com

Huy Khánh

Huy Khánh (1981-    ) is a famous Vietnamese actor of film and television.  

He was born as Trần Phan Huy Khánh on January 7, 1981 in Milan, Italy to a Vietnamese father and a French mother.  Huy Khánh is a graduate from the prestigious Cao Đẳng Sân Khấu Điện Ảnh (Stage and Film Academy) in Ho Chi Minh City.  Due to his renowned playboy image, he has been dubbed as Don Juan Huy Khánh.  Among the actresses he has been romantically linked with include Kim Tuyến and Tăng Thanh Hà.  

Among his film and television acting credits include Dốc Tình (2004), Hoa Dã Quỳ (2008) starring Ngọc Diệp, Áo Cưới Thiên Đường (2009), Chuyện Tình Xa Xứ (2009) starring Bình Minh, Cô Dâu Đại Chiến (2011) starring Ngọc Diệp, Ngân Khánh and Vân Trang, Lệ Phí Tình Yêu (2012) starring Hiếu Hiền, Minh Hằng and Ngọc Quyên and Để Mai tính 2 (2014) starring Thái Hòa.

Married to wife, actress Hoàng Anh, since 2005, Huy Khánh is father to a young son.  In 2010, allegations made by his wife of an extra-marital affair between Huy Khánh and actress/model Mạc Anh Thư made front page headlines in Vietnamese tabloids.  

Link(s):

20 Hottest Viet Celebs of 2017

Kelly Marie Tran

Kelly Marie Tran (1989-    ) is an American actress of Vietnamese descent.

She was born on January 17, 1989 in San Diego, California.  Both of her parents were originally from Vietnam.  After graduating from Westview High School in San Diego, Kelly Marie Tran moved to Los Angeles for college.  In 2011, she earned her BA degree in communications from UCLA.

Early on in her career, Kelly Marie Tran found work doing improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade and The Second City.  She also landed small parts in several short films.  In 2014, Kelly Marie Tran starred in the web series, Ladies Like Us.  In 2015, she was cast in the role of Rose Tico, the younger sister of Paige Tico, played by Veronica Ngo, in Star Wars:  The Last Jedi.  Her portrayal of Rose Tico earned her nominations for an Empire Award as best newcomer and a Saturn Award for best supporting actress.  In 2017, Kelly Marie Tran became the first Asian woman on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine when she appeared on the cover of the summer issue with John Boyega and Oscar Isaac. 

Kelly Marie Tran is currently a cast regular on the web series, Sorry for Your Loss. 

Mai Tien Dung

Mai Tiến Dũng (1988-    ) is a famous overseas Vietnamese pop singer.

His complete name given at birth is Mai Đặng Tiến Dũng.  He was born on September 29, 1988 in Ho Chi Minh City.  At the age of 11, Mai Tiến Dũng and his family left their native homeland and resettled in the United States. 

At the age of 19, Mai Tiến Dũng made the semi-finals in Thúy Nga's PBN Talent Show and won over the audience with his live performance of the song, Chuyện Chàng Cô Ðơn (written by Hoàng Bách), featured on volume 86 of the Paris By Night video series.  The following year, Mai Tiến Dũng tore up the floor as a celebrity contestant on volume 93 of the Paris By Night video series, Celebrity Dancing - Khiêu Vũ Của Các Ngôi Sao.  For his performance, Mai Tiến Dũng chose to dance to a ballroom swing number which he had recently recorded, the classic Vietnamese tune, 60 Năm Cuộc Đời (written by Y Vân).  Mai Tiến Dũng ended up receiving the Audience's Choice Winner Award, while the Judge's Choice Winner Gold and Silver Awards went to singers Hương Thủy and Hương Lan, respectively.

Mai Tiến Dũng has since become one of the most popular performers on the Paris By Night stage.  Among the most popular songs he has performed on the series include Yêu Như Ngày Yêu Cuối (written by Tăng Nhật Tuệ), Ngày Mai Chuyện Đã Khác (written by Hoàng Huy Long), Dance With Me (written by Lưu Thiên Hương), Chúc Xuân Tài Lộc (written by Lương Bằng Quang), Giáng Sinh Không Nhà (written by Phan Mạnh Quỳnh) and Đông (written by Vũ Cát Tường).  He has also performed many duets with other singers including Hương Giang, Tóc Tiên and Lương Tùng Quang.  In 2015, Mai Tiến Dũng acted in a comedy sketch, High Tech Hay Low Tech, on volume 116 of the Paris By Night series alongside Hồng Đào, Quang Minh and Daniel Phú.   

  

Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 7a

Here are the next homes owned by Vietnamese celebrities featured in our Vietnamese Celebrity Homes series.  Like our other posts, these homes owned by Vietnamese celebrities are quite diverse as they range from modest to ultra-luxurious.


1. Actor Lý Hùng, who had once been dubbed as "Ông Hoàng Phòng Vé" (Box Office King) for having one blockbuster film after another during the 1990s decade in Vietnam.  Although his film career has slowed down significantly since then, Lý Hùng has invested well.  That is why he was able to purchase this mansion located in the 11th district of Ho Chi Minh City at the beginning of the year 2017.

Lý Hùng standing in front of his Ho Chi Minh City mansion.  

Lý Hùng sits with family in his living room. 

 2.  Actress Chi Pu, also known as Vietnam's Hot Girl, and her family own this 4-story house located in the Xuân La District of Hanoi.

Living Room Inside Chi Pu's Hanoi Home

Dining Room Inside Chi Pu's Hanoi Home

Bằng Kiều's Home in Orange County, California  

3. Vietnamese singer Bằng Kiều had left his native Hanoi in 2002 to resettle in the United States when he married overseas Vietnamese singer Trizzie Phương Trinh.  Now divorced, Bằng Kiều now divides his time living between his two homes, a house he had built himself located in Orange County, California and a deluxe penthouse located in the 2nd district of Ho Chi Minh City.

Bằng Kiều is a man who enjoys gardening.  When he's not on tour
performing for Vietnamese audiences all over the world,
 Bằng Kiều usually can be found tending to his garden
at his home in Orange County, California. 
Here is a bonsai plant that sits in his backyard.  

Fishing Pond in Backyard of Bằng Kiều's Home
in Orange County, California 

Bằng Kiều sitting in the living room of his penthouse located in the 2nd district of Ho Chi Minh City

4. Vietnamese singer and businesswoman Kiwi Ngô Mai Trang, her husband and their two children divide their time between their two homes, a tranquil cottage located in the rural district of Bình Chánh, which is approximately a 45-minute drive from the city, and a deluxe penthouse located on the 15th floor of a skyriser building in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. 

Kitchen of Kiwi Ngô Mai Trang's Country Home in Bình Chánh

Japanese Style Dining Room Inside Kiwi Ngô Mai Trang's Country Home in Bình Chánh

Living Room of Kiwi Ngô Mai Trang's Deluxe Penthouse in Downtown Saigon 

 5. Singer/Actress Thủy Tiên and husband, soccer player Công Vinh, recently purchased this luxurious million dollar home located in the 7th district of Ho Chi Minh City.

Living Room of Thủy Tiên's Mansion in Ho Chi Minh City

 Link(s):  

• Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 1
• Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 2
• Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 3
• Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 4
• Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 5a
• Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 5b
• Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 6a
• Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 6b
• Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 7b
• Vietnamese Celebrity Homes Part 8a

Ngoc Minh

Ngọc Minh (1945-    ) is a famous Vietnamese singer and former cinema of Saigon actress.  Due to her tireless work entertaining for the ARVN troops during the Vietnam War, Ngọc Minh has been dubbed as "Người Yêu Của Lính" (Soldier's Love) after her signature song of the same name written by Nhật Trường.

She was born on November 20, 1945 in Móng Cái, a city of Quảng Ninh Province in North Vietnam, to parents whom were of Thai origin.  In 1954, Ngọc Minh and her family migrated to South Vietnam resettling in the city of Đà Lạt.  In 1964, Ngọc Minh made her debut live performance at the Quốc Gia Âm Nhạc (University of Saigon, School of Fine Arts) auditorium where she won over the audience with her heartfelt interpretations of the songs, Tình Ca (written by Phạm Duy) and Anh Về Một Chiều Mưa (written by Duy Khánh).  Shortly thereafter, through the guidance of musician Đan Phú Ngọc Minh would become a headliner at various cabarets throughout Saigon such as Bồng Lai, Văn Cảnh and Olympia.  In audio, Ngọc Minh recorded for the music label, Tâm Anh Nghệ Thuật, during the late 1960s and the early 1970s.  Among her most popular audio recordings in Saigon prior to 1975 included the following songs, Khi Tôi Về (written by Phạm Duy), Ngủ Đi Con (written by Trịnh Công Sơn), Thu Sầu (written by Lam Phương), Huyền Thoại Chiều Mưa (written by Nguyễn Vũ) and Quen Nhau (written by Đỗ Lễ).  In the spring of 1970, Ngọc Minh along with singer Ngọc Anh, the younger sister of legendary singer Khánh Ly, traveled to the United States on a concert tour performing at several different university campuses for audiences comprised of mainly foreign exchange students from South Vietnam.  Aside from her singing career, Ngọc Minh had also pursued a successful career as an actress of television and films in South Vietnam prior to the Fall of Saigon.

While her husband had been sent away to reeducation by the new communist regime in Vietnam, on November of 1978 Ngọc Minh and her young son fled by boat and landed at Terengganu, Malaysia.  After a year spent living in a refugee camp on the island of Pulau Bidong, Ngọc Minh and her son were granted entrance to the United States as political refugees.  Several years later, Ngọc Minh would be reunited with her husband after he had been granted political refugee status in the United States.  Almost immediately after resettling in the United States, Ngọc Minh was able to resume her singing career full force in the overseas Vietnamese music industry.  In 1981, Ngọc Minh formed her own music label, Ngọc Minh Productions, and released her first studio album, Anh Giải Phóng Tôi Hay Tôi Giải Phóng Anh.  The title track was written by legendary musician Nhật Ngân and would become one of Ngọc Minh's first major hits in the overseas Vietnamese music industry.  Throughout the 1980s and well into the early 1990s, Ngọc Minh Productions consistently released a dozen total studio albums which featured audio recordings primarily by Ngọc Minh, herself, as well as by various other artists including Khánh Ly, Xuân Sơn, Hải Lý, Sĩ Phú, Elvis Phương, Như Mai, Hương Lan, Vũ Khanh, Duy Quang, Mai Hương and Ngọc Lan.  In addition to recordings for her own music label, Ngọc Minh had also recorded for several other major overseas music labels during the 1980s and 1990s such as Thanh Lan, Diễm Xưa Productions and Làng Văn.

Ngọc Minh made her only music video appearance on the popular Paris By Night series, produced by Thúy Nga, to date performing the song, Người Di Tản Buồn (written by Nam Lộc), on volume 49 which was filmed in Toronto, Canada in 1999.  In 2006, Ngọc Minh made her first video appearance for Asia Entertainment in a duet with singer Doanh Doanh reprising her signature song, Người Yêu Của Lính, featured on volume 50.  During the next several years, Ngọc Minh would be invited back on the popular live show video series produced by Asia Entertainment a total of 8 more times.  Among her most memorable music video performances on Asia Entertainment include the following songs, Thư Gửi Người Miền Xa (written by Trúc Phương), Anh Về Với Em (written by Nhật Trường), as a duet with singer Thanh Phong, Ai Nói Với Em Nếu Anh Là Lính (written by Minh Kỳ), as a duet with singer Tâm Đoan and Lá Thư Trần Thế (written by Hoài Linh), as part of a trio with singers Đan Nguyên and the late Giang Tử.

Since resettling in the United States, Ngọc Minh has not been able to fully resume her career as an actress.  During the late 1980s, Ngọc Minh did act in a few well-received comedy sketches on Vietnam Program, a weekly Vietnamese language television show on channel 18, KSCI-TV, alongside other veteran performers such as Hùng Cường, Băng Châu and Nguyễn Long.  In the 2000s, Ngọc Minh began a new career as a Vietnamese language radio personality.  In recent years, Ngọc Minh returned to television as a talk show host for SBTN (Saigon Broadcasting Television Network).

On December 25, 2009, Ngọc Minh lost her beloved husband, Trần Ðức Thắng, of 44 years to cancer.  He was 72 years old at the time of his passing.