Name
Haing S. Ngor
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1940-03-22
Deathday
1996-02-25 (56 years old)
Place of Birth
Biography
Dr. Haing Somnang Ngor (March 22, 1940 – February 25, 1996) was a Cambodian-born American physician, actor, and author who is best known for winning the 1985 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his debut performance in the movie The Killing Fields, in which he portrayed Cambodian journalist and refugee Dith Pran. His mother was Khmer and his father was of Chinese descent. Ngor and Harold Russell are the only two non-professional actors to win an Academy Award in an acting category.
Ngor and his close friend Jack Ong established the Dr. Haing S. Ngor Foundation to assist in raising funds for Cambodian aid. As part of his humanitarian efforts, Ngor built an elementary school and operated a small sawmill that provided jobs and an income for local families.
On February 25, 1996, he was shot and killed outside his home in Chinatown, Los Angeles. Three alleged members of the "Oriental Lazy Boyz" street gang, who had prior arrests for snatching purses and jewelry, were charged with the murder. They were tried together in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, though their cases were heard by three separate juries. Prosecutors argued that they killed Ngor because, after handing over his gold Rolex watch willingly, he refused to give them a locket that contained a photo of his late wife, My-Huoy.
All of the defendants were found guilty on April 16, 1998, the same day Pol Pot's death was confirmed in Cambodia. Tak Sun Tan was sentenced to 56 years to life; Indra Lim to 26 years to life; and Jason Chan to life sentence without parole.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Known For
7.5
New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg is on assignment covering the Cambodian Civil War...
6.625
In a small Vietnamese village torn apart by war, a young woman faces unimaginable horrors ...
7.3
A motley group of Chinese prisoners held in the US is sent on a covert mission with the pr...
5.6
Based on the diary of an unknown Viet Cong soldier, this film provides a sympathetic look ...
- 1984 The Killing Fields as Dith Pran
- 1993 Heaven & Earth as Papa
- 1996 Hit Me as Billy Tungpet
- 1987 Eastern Condors as Yeung Lung
- 1989 The Iron Triangle as Col. Tuong, NVA
- 1990 Vietnam Texas as Wong
- 1994 The Dragon Gate as Sensei
- 1991 Ambition as Tatay
- 2015 The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor as Self (archive footage)
- 1990 Last Flight Out as Pham Van Minh
- 1994 Fortunes of War as Khoy Thuon
- 1993 My Life as Mr. Ho
- 1987 In Love and War as Major Bui
- 1992 Earth and the American Dream as Reader (voice)
- 1994 Vanishing Son IV as The General
- 1994 Vanishing Son III as The General
- 1994 Vanishing Son II as The General
- 1994 Vanishing Son as The General
- 1986 The Kinmen Bombs
- 2026 Casino Cambodia as Self
- 1984 Miami Vice ( 1 episode ) as Inspector Nguyn Van Trahn
- 1988 China Beach ( 2 episodes )
- 1984 Highway to Heaven ( 1 episode )
- 1982 Hotel ( 1 episode )
- 1991 The Commish ( 1 episode )
- 2016 People Magazine Investigates ( 1 episode ) as Self - Victim / Oscar-Winning Actor, 'The Killing Fields' (archive footage)
- 1994 Vanishing Son ( 5 episodes ) as The General
