Dustin Nguyen(I)
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
After leaving Vietnam with his family in 1975
Dustin Tri Nguyen (pronounced "Gwen") went
on to establish himself as one of Hollywood's
premiere Asian-American actors, having
starred on the hit TV shows "21 Jump Street,"
"Seaquest DSV," "VIP," He went on to star in
the films THE REBEL and THE MAN WITH
THE IRON FISTS 2. In 2005 Dustin won the
much sought after role in the Australian based
critically acclaimed film LITTLE FISH starring
opposite Academy Award-winner Cate
Blanchett.
In the film Dustin plays 'Jonny,'
Blanchett's love interest in a story that revolves
around her 'Tracy,' an ex-heroin-addict trying
to rebuild her life. The film premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival and went
on to become the number-one film in Australia.
Along the way, it collected 5 Australian Film
Institute Awards and 3 Film Critics' Awards.
LITTLE FISH then opened in New York to
rave reviews. Critics took note of Dustin's performance and transformation into a
leading man among the A-list cast. This very performance earned him the 2007 Asian
Excellence Award for Best Supporting Actor in a feature film.
Dustin can be seen starring in and directing Justin Lin's series
"Warrior" on Cinemax. The Show, based on the writings of Bruce Lee and set in the late
1870s San Francisco during the Tong Wars in Chinatown. In the Series he plays the "Big
Bad" Zing. Dustin is especially looking forward to season 2 where he has directed the
sixth episode of the show. This past season also saw Dustin guest starring on the NBC hit
Drama "This Is Us."
In more recent years, Dustin has transitioned to directing and producing films
under his Vietnam-based Dreamscape DBS; the production company he shares with his
producer wife, Bebe Pham. 2015 was a particularly good year for Dustin as his second
directorial effort, JACKPOT, was chosen to represent Vietnam for Best Foreign
Language Films at the 2016 Oscars. The film also was one of the surprise hits with
Vietnamese audiences that year as it was inspired by the true events of a poor countryside
lottery peddler who returned the winning lottery ticket to its rightful owner. By summer
of 2016, JACKPOT collected 3 Golden Kite Awards (Vietnam's highest cinematic
award) for Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Screenplay, in addition to People's Choice
Award for the Best Film of 2015.
In 2014, Dustin collaborated as an actor in a Vietnamese adaptation of
Dostoyevsky's A GENTLE CREATURE. This film, GENTLE, earned him a Leonardo
da Vinci Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor at the 2015 Milan International Film
Festival. In the same year, Dustin starred in Universal Pictures' sequel to THE MAN
WITH THE IRON FISTS.
In 2013, Dustin made his directorial debut with a script he wrote which was his
personal homage to Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, called ONCE UPON A TIME IN
VIETNAM - the first fantasy-martial-arts-drama in Vietnam. The film was picked up by
Lionsgate for North America distribution, as well as being distributed in England,
Germany, Italy, France, Australia and South America.
In 2011, Dustin was awarded Best Actor at the Vietnamese International Film
Festival for his performance as an abusive and bitter single father raising two children in
the Mekong Delta in FLOATING LIVES.
In 2009, Dustin was awarded the Vietnamese
Golden Lotus Award (Vietnam's Highest Film Award) for Best Actor in the motion
picture THE LEGEND IS ALIVE, as well as the Golden Kite Award (Vietnam's Cinema
Association) for the very same role. He was also awarded the Golden Rooster (China's
most prestigious film award) for Favorite International Actor for this very role. Dustin
played Long, a mentally challenged man, whose only wish is to bring his recently
deceased mother's ashes to America. Along his journey, Long encounters and reluctantly
involves himself with a young girl who has been sold to human traffickers.
In 2008, Dustin starred in Justin Lin's film FINISHING THE GAME, which had
premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2006, Dustin starred in his first villain role
in the Vietnamese blockbuster THE REBEL, a French-Vietnamese 1920's period action-drama.
It marked his first return to Vietnam in 32 years.
Dustin's martial arts expertise was fully showcased in 2000 when he starred in a
Levi's Jeans' European "Hero" campaign, which expanded upon his ever-growing
international profile. The campaign was uniquely groundbreaking in that it was the first
time Levi's had ever used an Asian star in their awarded winning campaigns. For Dustin,
it offered the first opportunity to apply his love for the martial arts along with his
dramatic training as he collaborated with director Jonathan Glazer (UNDER THE SKIN,
SEXY BEAST, BIRTH) on the fight choreography.
Dustin currently lives in Vietnam with his wife, Bebe Pham, and their three
children.
Dustin Tri Nguyen (pronounced "Gwen") went
on to establish himself as one of Hollywood's
premiere Asian-American actors, having
starred on the hit TV shows "21 Jump Street,"
"Seaquest DSV," "VIP," He went on to star in
the films THE REBEL and THE MAN WITH
THE IRON FISTS 2. In 2005 Dustin won the
much sought after role in the Australian based
critically acclaimed film LITTLE FISH starring
opposite Academy Award-winner Cate
Blanchett.
In the film Dustin plays 'Jonny,'
Blanchett's love interest in a story that revolves
around her 'Tracy,' an ex-heroin-addict trying
to rebuild her life. The film premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival and went
on to become the number-one film in Australia.
Along the way, it collected 5 Australian Film
Institute Awards and 3 Film Critics' Awards.
LITTLE FISH then opened in New York to
rave reviews. Critics took note of Dustin's performance and transformation into a
leading man among the A-list cast. This very performance earned him the 2007 Asian
Excellence Award for Best Supporting Actor in a feature film.
Dustin can be seen starring in and directing Justin Lin's series
"Warrior" on Cinemax. The Show, based on the writings of Bruce Lee and set in the late
1870s San Francisco during the Tong Wars in Chinatown. In the Series he plays the "Big
Bad" Zing. Dustin is especially looking forward to season 2 where he has directed the
sixth episode of the show. This past season also saw Dustin guest starring on the NBC hit
Drama "This Is Us."
In more recent years, Dustin has transitioned to directing and producing films
under his Vietnam-based Dreamscape DBS; the production company he shares with his
producer wife, Bebe Pham. 2015 was a particularly good year for Dustin as his second
directorial effort, JACKPOT, was chosen to represent Vietnam for Best Foreign
Language Films at the 2016 Oscars. The film also was one of the surprise hits with
Vietnamese audiences that year as it was inspired by the true events of a poor countryside
lottery peddler who returned the winning lottery ticket to its rightful owner. By summer
of 2016, JACKPOT collected 3 Golden Kite Awards (Vietnam's highest cinematic
award) for Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Screenplay, in addition to People's Choice
Award for the Best Film of 2015.
In 2014, Dustin collaborated as an actor in a Vietnamese adaptation of
Dostoyevsky's A GENTLE CREATURE. This film, GENTLE, earned him a Leonardo
da Vinci Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor at the 2015 Milan International Film
Festival. In the same year, Dustin starred in Universal Pictures' sequel to THE MAN
WITH THE IRON FISTS.
In 2013, Dustin made his directorial debut with a script he wrote which was his
personal homage to Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, called ONCE UPON A TIME IN
VIETNAM - the first fantasy-martial-arts-drama in Vietnam. The film was picked up by
Lionsgate for North America distribution, as well as being distributed in England,
Germany, Italy, France, Australia and South America.
In 2011, Dustin was awarded Best Actor at the Vietnamese International Film
Festival for his performance as an abusive and bitter single father raising two children in
the Mekong Delta in FLOATING LIVES.
In 2009, Dustin was awarded the Vietnamese
Golden Lotus Award (Vietnam's Highest Film Award) for Best Actor in the motion
picture THE LEGEND IS ALIVE, as well as the Golden Kite Award (Vietnam's Cinema
Association) for the very same role. He was also awarded the Golden Rooster (China's
most prestigious film award) for Favorite International Actor for this very role. Dustin
played Long, a mentally challenged man, whose only wish is to bring his recently
deceased mother's ashes to America. Along his journey, Long encounters and reluctantly
involves himself with a young girl who has been sold to human traffickers.
In 2008, Dustin starred in Justin Lin's film FINISHING THE GAME, which had
premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2006, Dustin starred in his first villain role
in the Vietnamese blockbuster THE REBEL, a French-Vietnamese 1920's period action-drama.
It marked his first return to Vietnam in 32 years.
Dustin's martial arts expertise was fully showcased in 2000 when he starred in a
Levi's Jeans' European "Hero" campaign, which expanded upon his ever-growing
international profile. The campaign was uniquely groundbreaking in that it was the first
time Levi's had ever used an Asian star in their awarded winning campaigns. For Dustin,
it offered the first opportunity to apply his love for the martial arts along with his
dramatic training as he collaborated with director Jonathan Glazer (UNDER THE SKIN,
SEXY BEAST, BIRTH) on the fight choreography.
Dustin currently lives in Vietnam with his wife, Bebe Pham, and their three
children.