Haing S. Ngor | |
|---|---|
 Ngor in 1986 | |
| Born | Haing Somnang Ngor (1940-03-22)March 22, 1940 Samrong Yong, Cambodia, French Indochina |
| Died | February 25, 1996(1996-02-25) (aged 55) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Murder (gunshot wounds) |
| Resting place | Rose Hills Memorial Park |
| Citizenship |
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| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1984–1996 |
| Spouse | Chang My-Huoy (died 1978) |
| Relatives | Chan Sarun (brother) |
Haing Somnang Ngor (Khmer: ហាំង សំណាង ង៉ោ; March 22, 1940 – February 25, 1996) was a Cambodian and American actor, physician, and activist. He made his acting debut in the biographical drama filmThe Killing Fields (1984) as journalistDith Pran, for which he won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor, becoming thefirst actor of Asian descent to win the award and one of the only two amateur actors to win an Academy Award, followingHarold Russell.
Ngor practiced as a physician before the start of theCambodian genocide in 1975. He eventually survived the genocide, immigrating to the United States in 1980. There, he became active in humanitarian efforts assisting theCambodian community.[1][2]
In 1996, Ngor was murdered outside his home inLos Angeles. The case was speculated to be linked to theKhmer Rouge, which remains unconfirmed.[3]
Haing Somnang Ngor was born on March 22, 1940, in Samrong Yong, a village in present-dayBati district, Takéo province,Cambodia.Cambodia was part ofFrench Indochina at the time of his birth.[4][2] Ngor's mother wasKhmer, and his father wasof Chinese descent.[5]
Ngor trained as agynecologist andobstetrician. He practiced inPhnom Penh before thecapture of the city byPol Pot'sKhmer Rouge in 1975, marking the start of theCambodian genocide. He had to conceal his education, medical skills, and the fact that he wore glasses to avoid the new regime's intense hostility to intellectuals and professionals. Ngor was expelled from Phnom Penh with the bulk of its two million inhabitants as part of the Khmer Rouge's ideaYear Zero and sent to farm rice imprisoned with his wife, Chang My-Huoy, who required acesarean section and died with the couple's unborn child[4][6] during labor in 1978[5] because it was impossible to perform the surgery without risking the whole family's life.[7][8][9] He survived three terms in prison, using his medical knowledge to keep himself alive by eatingbeetles,termites,[10] andscorpions.[11]
After thefall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979, Ngor and his niece crawled to safety in arefugee camp, which was run by theRed Cross[11] inThailand, and he subsequently worked as a physician there.[4] The next year, they moved to the United States,[2][5][8][12][13] settling inLos Angeles.[14] Later in his life, Ngor was unable to resume his medical practice[15] and did not remarry.[6]
Despite having no previous acting experience, Ngor was cast as Cambodian-American journalistDith Pran in the biographical drama filmThe Killing Fields (1984), for which he won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor,[5][6][15][1] becoming thefirst actor of Asian descent to win the award and one of the only two amateur actors to win an Academy Award, followingHarold Russell.[16] Ngor was not initially interested in the role, but interviews with the filmmakers changed his mind, as he recalled that he promised his wife to tell Cambodia's story to the world. After appearing in the film, he toldPeople, "I wanted to show the world how deep starvation is in Cambodia, how many people die under communist regime. My heart is satisfied. I have done something perfect."[17]
In 1987, he published his autobiography,[6]Haing Ngor: A Cambodian Odyssey, in which he described his life under the Khmer Rouge.[5][1]
Ngor went on to appear in various other onscreen projects, most memorably inVanishing Son (1994–1995) and the biographical war drama filmHeaven & Earth (1993). He also appeared in the Hong Kong action filmEastern Condors (1987).
Ngor appeared in a supporting role in the 1989 Vietnam War dramaThe Iron Triangle and guest-starred in a two-episode storyline on the acclaimed seriesChina Beach (episodes "How to Stay Alive in Vietnam 1 & 2"[18]) as a wounded Cambodianprisoner of war who befriends Colleen McMurphy while under her care. Ngor guest-starred in an episode ofMiami Vice called "The Savage / Duty and Honor".
InMy Life (1993), Ngor portrayed Mr. Ho, aspiritual healer who provides guidance for Bob Jones (Michael Keaton) and his wife Gail (Nicole Kidman) after Bob is diagnosed with terminal cancer, months before the birth of the couple's first child.
Ngor and his close friendJack Ong established the Dr. Haing S. Ngor Foundation to assist in raising funds for Cambodian aid.[1] As part of his humanitarian efforts, Ngor built anelementary school and operated a smallsawmill that provided jobs and an income for local families.[2]
Ngor became anaturalized U.S. citizen in 1986. He was a Buddhist.[8]
On February 25, 1996, Ngor was shot and killed outside his home inChinatown, Los Angeles.[1][19] 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 theSuperior Court of Los Angeles County, though their cases were heard by three separate juries.[9] Prosecutors argued that they killed Ngor because, after handing over his goldRolex watch willingly, he refused to give them a locket that contained a photo of his late wife, My-Huoy. Defense attorneys suggested the murder was a politically motivated killing carried out by sympathizers of the Khmer Rouge.Kang Kek Iew, a former Khmer Rouge official on trial in Cambodia, claimed in November 2009 that Ngor was murdered on Pol Pot's orders, but U.S. investigators did not find him credible.[3]
Some criticized the theory that Ngor was killed in a bungled robbery, pointing to $2,900 in cash that had been left behind and that the thieves had not rifled his pockets. Why the thieves would have demanded his locket is not known; Ngor typically wore the locket next to his skin under his clothing, so it would not have been easily visible. As of 2003[update], the locket had not been recovered.[20]
All of the defendants were found guilty on April 16, 1998, the same day Pol Pot's death was confirmed in Cambodia.[21] 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. In 2004, theU.S. District Court for the Central District of California granted Tak Sun Tan'shabeas corpus petition, finding that prosecutors had manipulated the jury's sympathy by presenting false evidence. This decision was reversed, and the conviction was ultimately upheld by theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in July 2005.
Many Cambodians claimed they had a stake in his estate, with one woman claiming he had married her after coming to the United States. Most of Ngor's Cambodian assets went to his younger brother,Chan Sarun, while his American assets were used up in legal fees staving off claims to his estate.[22] He was buried atRose Hills Memorial Park,Whittier, California.
After the release ofThe Killing Fields, Ngor had told aNew York Times reporter, "If I die from now on, OK! This film will go on for a hundred years."[23]
Dith Pran, whom Ngor portrayed inThe Killing Fields, said of Ngor's death, "He is like a twin with me. He is like a co-messenger and right now I am alone."[24]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Killing Fields | Dith Pran | |
| 1986 | The Kinmen Bombs | James Wu | |
| 1987 | In Love and War | Major Bui | TV movie |
| Eastern Condors | Yeung Lung | ||
| 1989 | The Iron Triangle | Colonel Tuong, NVA | |
| Vietnam War Story: The Last Days | Major Huyen | (segment "The Last Outpost") | |
| 1990 | Vietnam, Texas | Wong | |
| Last Flight Out | Pham Van Minh | TV movie | |
| 1991 | Ambition | Tatay | |
| 1993 | My Life | Mr. Ho | |
| Heaven & Earth | Papa | ||
| 1994 | Vanishing Son | The General | TV movie |
| Fortunes of War | Khoy Thuon | ||
| Vanishing Son II | The General | TV movie | |
| Vanishing Son III | The General | TV movie | |
| Vanishing Son IV | The General | TV movie | |
| The Dragon Gate | Sensei | ||
| 1996 | Hit Me | Billy Tungpet | Posthumous release, (final film role) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Miami Vice | Nguyen Van Trahn | Episode: "The Savage / Duty and Honor" |
| 1989 | Highway To Heaven | Truong Vann Diep | Episode: "Choices" |
| 1989 | China Beach | Seak Yin | Episodes: "How to Stay Alive in Vietnam (Parts 1 & 2)" |
| 1992 | The Commish | Nhu Hao Duong | Episode: "Charlie Don't Surf" |
