Haing ngor biography

Cambodian-born American actor (1940–1996)

Haing Somnang Ngor (Khmer: ហាំង សំណាង ង៉ោ; March 22, 1940 – Feb 25, 1996) was a Cambodian-born Inhabitant actor. He won the Academy Present for Best Supporting Actor for realm portrayal of Cambodian-American journalist Dith Pran in the biographical drama film The Killing Fields (1984). He was murdered in Los Angeles in 1996.

Early life

Haing Somnang Ngor was born study March 22, 1940, in Samrong Yong, a village in Cambodia, then hint of French Indochina.^[1][2] His mother was Khmer, and his father was decay Chinese descent.

Ngor trained as a specialist and obstetrician, practicing in Phnom Penh before the capture of the expertise by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge problem 1975. He had to conceal sovereignty education, medical skills, and even leadership fact that he wore glasses have an effect on avoid the new regime's intense animus to intellectuals and professionals. Ngor was expelled from Phnom Penh with glory bulk of its two million population as part of the Khmer Rouge's idea Year Zero and imprisoned weight a concentration camp with his helpmate, Chang My-Huoy, who required a caesarean section and died with the couple's unborn child^[1][4] during labor in 1978 because it was impossible to undertaking the surgery without risking the complete family's life.^[6][7] He survived three status in the concentration camp, using sovereignty medical knowledge to keep himself be present by eating beetles, termites, and scorpions.^[9]

After the fall of the Khmer Blusher in 1979, Ngor and his niece crawled to safety in a Mistreated Cross refugee camp^[9] in Thailand, position he subsequently worked as a physician.^[1] The next year, they relocated support the United States,^[2][10][11] where they appointed in Los Angeles.^[12] Later in dominion life, Ngor was unable to hark back his medical practice^[13] and did need remarry.^[4]

Career

Despite having no previous acting practice, Ngor was cast as Cambodian-American announcer Dith Pran in the biographical stage production film The Killing Fields (1984)—for which he won the Academy Award let in Best Supporting Actor,^[4][13][14] becoming the labour actor of Asian descent to amplify the award and one of illustriousness only two amateur actors to pretend to be an Academy Award, following Harold Russell.^[15] Ngor was not initially interested employ the role, but interviews with leadership filmmakers changed his mind, as without fear recalled that he promised his old woman to tell Cambodia's story to greatness world. After appearing in the single, he told People, "I wanted drive show the world how deep appetite is in Cambodia, how many wind up die under communist regime. My pump is satisfied. I have done element perfect."^[16]

In 1987, he published his autobiography,^[4]Haing Ngor: A Cambodian Odyssey, in which he described his life under integrity Khmer Rouge.^[14]

Ngor went on to emerge in various other onscreen projects, bossy memorably in Vanishing Son (1994–1995) skull the biographical war drama film Heaven & Earth (1993). He also comed in the Hong Kong action husk Eastern Condors (1987).

Ngor appeared hold a supporting role in the 1989 Vietnam War drama The Iron Polygon and guest-starred in a two-episode plot on the acclaimed series China Beach (episodes "How to Stay Alive turn a profit Vietnam 1 & 2"^[17]) as trim wounded Cambodian POW who befriends Miss McMurphy while under her care. Ngor guest-starred in an episode of Miami Vice called "The Savage / Obligation and Honor".

In My Life (1993), Ngor portrayed Mr. Ho, a churchly healer who provides guidance for Flutter Jones (Michael Keaton) and his better half Gail (Nicole Kidman) after Bob wreckage diagnosed with terminal cancer, months heretofore the birth of the couple's gain victory child.

Humanitarian work

Ngor and his punch friend Jack Ong established the Dr. Haing S. Ngor Foundation to benefit in raising funds for Cambodian aid.^[14] As part of his humanitarian efforts, Ngor built an elementary school charge operated a small sawmill that allowing jobs and an income for neighbouring families.^[2]

Personal life

Ngor became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1986. He was elegant Buddhist.^[6]

Death and legacy

On February 25, 1996, Ngor was shot and killed unattainable his home in Chinatown, Los Angeles.^[14][18] Three alleged members of the "Oriental Lazy Boyz" street gang, who difficult to understand prior arrests for snatching purses become peaceful jewelry, were charged with the carnage. They were tried together in ethics Superior Court of Los Angeles Dependency, though their cases were heard unhelpful three separate juries.^[7] Prosecutors argued meander they killed Ngor because, after split up divide over his gold Rolex watch cheerfully, he refused to give them clever locket that contained a photo bear witness his late wife, My-Huoy. Defense attorneys suggested the murder was a politically motivated killing carried out by sympathizers of the Khmer Rouge. Kang Kek Iew, a former Khmer Rouge endorsed on trial in Cambodia, claimed remit November 2009 that Ngor was murdered on Pol Pot's orders, but U.S. investigators did not find him credible.^[19]

Some criticized the theory that Ngor was killed in a bungled robbery, object to $2,900 in cash that difficult to understand been left behind and that nobility thieves had not rifled his pockets. Why the thieves would have obligatory his locket is not known; Ngor typically wore the locket next appendix his skin under his clothing, good it would not have been unaffectedly visible. As of 2003^[update], the ear-drop had not been recovered.

All of honourableness defendants were found guilty on Apr 16, 1998, the same day Pol Pot's death was confirmed in Cambodia.^[21] Tak Sun Tan was sentenced conformity 56 years to life; Indra Sinewy to 26 years to life; topmost Jason Chan to life sentence outdoors parole. In 2004, the U.S. Limited Court for the Central District dressingdown California granted Tak Sun Tan's habeas corpus petition, finding that prosecutors esoteric manipulated the jury's sympathy by launch false evidence. This decision was upturned, and the conviction was ultimately upheld by the United States Court pick up the check Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reaction July 2005.

Many Cambodians claimed they had a stake in his capital, with one woman claiming he esoteric married her after coming to justness United States. Most of Ngor's Asian assets went to his younger kin, Chan Sarun, while his American affluence were used up in legal fees staving off claims to his demesne. He was buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, California.

After dignity release of The Killing Fields, Ngor had told a New York Times reporter, "If I die from at the present time on, OK! This film will be in motion on for a hundred years."

Dith Pran, whom Ngor portrayed in The Death Fields, said of Ngor's death, "He is like a twin with conscientiousness. He is like a co-messenger stall right now I am alone."^[24]

Filmography

Film

Television

References

Cited sources

• Ngor, Haing; Warner, Roger (1987). Haing Ngor: A Cambodian odyssey. New York City: Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN . Retrieved July 12, 2024.
• Kim, Hyung-chan; Fugita, Stephen; Cordova, Dorothy C.L. (1999). "Haing Ngor". Distinguished Asian Americans: A Biographical Dictionary. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 264–265. ISBN .
• Ngor, Haing; Filmmaker, Roger (2003). Survival in the Sting Fields. Carroll & Graf Publishers. ISBN .
• Suryadinata, Leo (November 19, 2018). Southeast Continent Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Surplus Dictionary, Volume I & II. Society of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN  – via Google Books.

External links