Johnny Trí Nguyễn
Johnny Trí Nguyễn (Vietnamese name Nguyễn Chánh Minh Trí, born January 16, 1974) is a Vietnamese–American actor, martial artist, action choreographer and stuntman who is mainly active in the Vietnamese film industry.
Johnny Trí Nguyễn | |
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Nguyễn in 2007 | |
Born | Nguyễn Chánh Minh Trí January 16, 1974 Bình Dương, Vietnam |
Nationality | Vietnam United States |
Years active | 1994–present |
Occupation | Actor, martial artist, action choreographer, stuntman |
Children | 2 |
Born in Bình Dương and raised in Trung An, Mỹ Tho, Nguyễn and his family immigrated to the United States of America when he was 9. He competed as a martial artist on the U.S. national team, and then transitioned into a career as a stuntman in Hollywood, working on films such as Spider-Man 2 and Jarhead.
Nguyễn later returned to Vietnam and starred in The Rebel, a period martial arts film released in 2007 and directed by his brother Charlie Nguyễn. It was a massive success in Vietnam, garnering unprecedented attention for a locally made film. Nguyễn followed The Rebel by starring in a steady stream of hit films, many of which were directed by his brother, including Clash in 2009, Để Mai tính in 2010, and Tèo Em in 2013, all of which broke box office records at the time of release. In a controversial decision, Vietnamese censors banned Nguyễn's 2013 action film Bui Doi Cho Lon for its violent content.
Besides his work in Vietnamese films, Nguyễn has had supporting roles in major films from Thailand (Tony Jaa's Tom-Yum-Goong) and India (7aum Arivu and Irumbu Kuthirai).