Do Thi Hai Yen

Do Thi Hai Yen (1982-    ) also known as Hai Yen, is a Vietnamese film actress who had gained international prominence with her portrayal of Phuong in the Hollywood major motion picture, The Quiet American (2002).

She was born in Bac Ninh province in Northern Vietnam on October 1, 1982 and grew up in Hanoi.  At the age of 17, Do Thi Hai Yen made her film debut with a supporting role in The Vertical Ray of the Sun (1999), a Vietnamese-language film directed by internationally renowned Vietnamese filmmaker Tran Anh Hung.  In 2000, she was cast in another supporting role in Vu Khuc Con Co (Song of the Stork), a film directed by Nguyen Phan Quang Binh and Johnathan Foo of Singapore that went on to win the 2002 Milan Film Festival Award for best feature film.

In 2001, her beauty and acting talents won Do Thi Hai Yen the role of Phuong for the film, The Quiet American, in a competition that consisted of 2,000 candidates.  The film starred Academy Award-winning actor Sir Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser.  Released in 2002, The Quiet American was an international critical success and was recognized with accolades in film industries worldwide including a Satellite Award for best actor in a motion picture and nominations for both an Academy Award and a BAFTA for best actor for Sir Michael Caine.  For her performance, Do Thi Hai Yen was nominated for a Satellite Award for best supporting actress in a motion picture.

Among her other film credits include Chuyen cua Pao (Story of Pao) (2006), a film in which she had produced as well as starred in the lead role that went on to win four Golden Kite Awards, Vietnam's equivalent to the Oscars, Choi Voi (Adrift) (2009) with Linh Dan Pham, Johnny Tri Nguyen and veteran cinema of Hanoi actress, Nhu Quynh, which won the International Critics Prize at the 66th Venice Film Festival in 2009 and Canh Dong Bat Tan (The Floating Lives) (2010) with Dustin Nguyen and Tang Thanh Ha and Cha va Con va... (Big Father, Small Father and Other Stories) (2015).  Do Thi Hai Yen has been Vietnam's celebrity spokesperson for such international brands like Louis Vuitton, Motorola V8 Luxury and Escada.

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