Haing Somnang Ngo American-Cambodian doctor, actor, writer, Oscar winner. Date of Birth: 22.03.1940 Country: USA

Biography of Haing Somnang Ngor

Haing Somnang Ngor was an American-Cambodian doctor, actor, and writer. He was born on March 22, 1940, in Samrong Young, Cambodia. His mother was of Khmer descent, while his father had Chinese roots. Ngor received his education as a surgeon and gynecologist.

In 1985, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dith Pran, a Cambodian journalist and refugee, in the film "The Killing Fields." Ngor and Harold Russell, a World War II veteran, remain the only non-professional actors to have won an Oscar.

Ngor is also the only Asian actor to have won the coveted golden statue in the category of Best Supporting Actor. Despite having no prior acting experience, director Roland Joffé cast Ngor in "The Killing Fields" based on real events. Ngor's performance not only earned him an Oscar but also a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Film Award.

During the rule of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, Ngor had to hide his education, medical skills, and even the fact that he wore glasses. Anyone suspected of being part of the intelligentsia in the Democratic Kampuchea faced immediate death.

Ngor, his pregnant wife, and the remaining population of Phnom Penh, where he practiced as a doctor, were sent to a concentration camp as part of the Khmer Rouge's social experiment to establish "agrarian socialism." Tragically, Ngor's wife and child died during childbirth because they needed a cesarean section, and as a professional gynecologist, he couldn't help them without risking their lives.

After the regime's fall in 1979, Ngor and his niece managed to escape to the United States. However, he couldn't resume his medical practice in his new homeland and never remarried. In 1988, he wrote the book "Haing Ngor: A Cambodian Odyssey," which recounted his life story.

In 1990, Ngor and actor Jack Ong founded the Dr. Haing S. Ngor Foundation, a charitable organization. Today, Ngor's niece, Sophia Ngor Demetri, serves as its president.

Ngor continued his acting career from 1984 to 1996, appearing in 25 films and TV series. His notable works include Oliver Stone's "Heaven & Earth," "My Life" with Nicole Kidman, "Eastern Condors" by Hong Kong director Sammo Hung, "The Iron Triangle" about the Vietnam War, and four movies from the "Vanishing Son" series. He also played a wounded Cambodian prisoner of war in two episodes of the TV series "China Beach."

Tragically, on February 25, 1996, Dr. Ngor was shot and killed during a robbery near his home in Chinatown, Los Angeles. After his death, several Cambodian individuals claimed to be his legal spouse. His Cambodian assets were mostly given to his brother, while his American assets were used to cover expenses and legal services.

Three members of a street gang, known to the police for previous robberies, were charged with first-degree murder and second-degree robbery in Ngor's case. They claimed to have killed Ngor because he refused to give them his gold Rolex watch and a locket with a portrait of his late wife, which he wore hidden under his clothes. There was a theory that supporters of the remnants of the Khmer Rouge were behind Ngor's murder, but no evidence has been found so far. Strangely, the robbers did not take the $2900 cash Ngor had with him. All three gang members were found guilty and sentenced to prison.