Don Duong: At the peak of fame, he met a scandal, had to live in exile, died in a foreign land

From a famous actor, having a prosperous and successful life in Vietnam, Don Duong was strongly condemned by public opinion, had to live in exile, became homeless, jobless and lost his land. hometown guests.

The pinnacle of glory

Talented actor Don Duong was born in 1957 in Da Lat. After the South was completely liberated, Don Duong returned to Ho Chi Minh City, then went to work at a pharmaceutical factory. With a tall and handsome appearance, in 1982, Don Duong caught the eye of director Le Dan in the role of a wounded soldier named Dung - the film Pho Tuong. After that, Don Duong continued to act in the film The Sky for the Doves by director Luu Bach Dan and the film Love Song by director Le Mong Hoang. From here, the acting career opened up before Don Duong's eyes.

Consecutively appeared in famous films such as Me Thao - Time of Resonance, Three Seasons, Sand Life, Apartment (1999), Tale of Seven, Tay Do Beauty (1996), Midstream (1995), Co Lau (1993), Imprint of the Devil (1992), Gamble (1991)...the name Don Duong was like a movie actor on the screen at that time, the directors did not hesitate to give him roles. heavyweight.

Me Thao - The Golden Age with the participation of actor Don Duong is a film by French-Vietnamese female director Viet Linh, the film won the Golden Rose Award at Bergano Film Festivan 2003, second prize at Bourse International Promotion Of Fracophonie Agence 2003.

Actor Don Duong's name began to "pop" in the film world when he appeared in the movie Sand life directed by Nguyen Thanh Van, a simple story about a post-war soldier that won the film festival's gold award. Asia-Pacific, the 13th Vietnam Film Festival Golden Lotus and many other important awards.

However, the film that brought Don Duong's name closer to viewers was the old Ong Hai movie, in which Don Phuong played Political Commissar Thang. Film critics in Vietnam at that time shared the same opinion, that the films played by Don Duong were all art films, most of which had an inner depth.

Being in 36 films with heavy roles is the dream of many actors of the same time as Don Duong, but Don Duong is an ambitious person, his life took another turn when he accepted the role. The role of Major An in We Are Soldiers directed by Randall Wallace with Hollywood star Mel Gibson and another role in Blue Dragon directed by Timothy Linh Bui.

The two films We Are Soldiers and Blue Dragon with content distorting Vietnamese history have received quite harsh reactions from domestic public opinion. When the incident broke out, Don Duong sent many letters to the media and some foreign filmmakers calling for help. On April 9, 2003, he was allowed to leave the country.

The acting career of talented actor Don Duong officially ended here, opening a new page with a series of scandals and scandals in the US.

In an interview, this actor bitterly revealed: "When I read the script We were once soldiers, I thought I would play the role of a soldier hero, who would probably be praised by the Vietnamese audience. , the discerning audience will notice that the army roles are played by other Asians, not Vietnamese, but when I see the finished film, I am very sad because of the scenes where I portray my brave and cunning personality. Major An's mind has been cut a lot.This is my own experience.I swear I will never again act in a movie about the Vietnam war directed by foreigners, because they have the full right to change the drama. copy according to their will".

This oath of Don Duong was confirmed by director Le Cung Bac - the actor's brother-in-law and director Luu Trong Ninh. According to Mr. Le Cung Bac, in the US, Don Duong also received several offers to act in films that would make him a lot of money if he accepted the role. But the actor said that these roles are easy to misunderstand because of his villainous character, so he did not accept.

And director Luu Trong Ninh revealed: "When he first came to the US, the name Don Duong was very hot, famous and interested. At that time, American filmmakers did not hesitate to pay Don Duong 2 million dollars. to exploit Duong's life and death. With 1 million dollars in royalties for life and 1 million dollars as the main actor, Duong refused everything. any movie in America. I admire Don Duong, because if it were me, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to let go of that $2 million."

Scandal surrounds all sides

Director Luu Trong Ninh also added that in 9 years of living in the US, Don Duong's life was very difficult. This actor refuses to receive US benefits and just hangs around taking care of his family, not having any other fun and work.

Not only difficult at work, Don Duong's private life also constantly encounters bad reputation. He is said to have cheated in the divorce, made fake documents to bring his wife and children to the US to live.

In 2003, Don Duong was sued by Ms. Tran Thi Phuong Lien for "surreptitiously taking sensitive photos and recording audio tapes to extort money". The court in Fairfax (Virginia) sentenced and ordered the actor to pay the victim $200,000.

However, after that, Don Duong appealed and accused Ms. Lien Tran of slander and insults. Finally, Ms. Tran Thi Phuong Lien arbitrarily dismissed the complaint and canceled the lawsuit.

In June 2008, Don Duong at the age of 50 married Mrs. My Hanh, 64 years old, owner of Hanh Phuoc beauty salon and who used to have shares in Thuy Nga Paris tape and disc production company. Although Don Duong asserts that his marriage comes from love and sympathy from the two, however, the overseas press all say that there is no reason why a handsome, famous actor should be. Famous like Don Duong must marry a woman much older than him, except for... money.

With no job, no home, surrounded by scandals on all sides, Don Duong was almost pushed into the dead end. At one point, he had to desperately cry out in front of the media: "I'm stressed, tired. Please leave me alone".

According to director Luu Trong Ninh, in more than 7 years living in the US, Don Duong has twice intended to leave the world because of heavy stress.

Actor Nguyen Chanh Tin - a close friend and also the one who introduced Don Duong to the 7th art class said that the comment that Don Duong is a "talented man with many disabilities" is partly true because of "yang nature". He's cute, but he's hot-tempered, outspoken, and most importantly, he's not clever."

Lost a foreign land

On December 7, 2011, actor Don Duong took his last breath in the US after a stroke. This information shocked not only his family, friends, but also fans of his acting talent.

When he left, Don Duong also confirmed to friends and relatives that he would return. A few months before his death, Don Duong had obtained a visa to return to Vietnam. He wanted to go home immediately to see friends, relatives and family, but thinking that he would be able to stay longer until the New Year, he had to postpone the return trip. Who knows, that small wish of this talented and unfortunate actor could not be fulfilled.

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