History Creator / HaingSNgor

Unable to resume his medicine practice in the US, and despite not having trained as an actor before, Ngor was cast in the role of a [[MetaCasting fellow]] [[ActorSharedBackground Cambodian]] GenocideSurvivor, journalist Dith Pran, in ''Film/TheKillingFields'', which ended up becoming his best-known and most acclaimed role. He won the [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActorInASupportingRole Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for his performance (and that was very much AwardCategoryFraud considering his screentime in the film), and in doing so became the first actor of Asian descent to win the award, as well as the only one until Creator/KeHuyQuan won it 38 years later for ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce''. He appeared in a dozen other productions afterwards.

Unable to resume his medicine practice in the US, and despite not having trained as an actor before, Ngor was cast in the role of a [[MetaCasting fellow]] [[ActorSharedBackground Cambodian]] GenocideSurvivor, journalist Dith Pran, in ''Film/TheKillingFields'', which ended up becoming his best-known and most acclaimed role. He won the [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActorInASupportingRole Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for his performance (and that was very much AwardCategoryFraud considering his screentime in the film), and in doing so became the first actor of Asian descent to win the award, as well as the only one until Creator/KeHuyQuan's win in the same category 38 years later for ''Film/EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce''. He appeared in a dozen other productions afterwards.

Unable to resume his medicine practice in the US, and despite not having trained as an actor before, Ngor was cast in the role of a [[MetaCasting fellow]] [[ActorSharedBackground Cambodian]] GenocideSurvivor, journalist Dith Pran, in ''Film/TheKillingFields'', which ended up becoming his best-known and most acclaimed role. He won the [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActorInASupportingRole Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for his performance (and that was very much AwardCategoryFraud considering his screentime in the film), and in doing so became the first actor of Asian descent to win the award, as well as the only one until Creator/KeHuyQuan's win in the same category 38 years later. He appeared in a dozen other productions afterwards.

He was murdered at the age of 55 in a bungled robbery outside his home in Los Angeles on February 25, 1996.

He first trained as a surgeon and gynecologist. In the late 1970s, he managed to survive under the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot that took over Cambodia and submitted the country to a horrific purge and agrarian revolution that killed millions (including his wife), later qualified as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_genocide genocide]]. After managing to escape Cambodia, he worked in a refugee camp in UsefulNotes/{{Thailand}}, then moved to America.

Unable to resume his medicine practice in the US, and despite not having trained as an actor before, he was cast in the role of a [[MetaCasting fellow]] [[ActorSharedBackground Cambodian]] GenocideSurvivor, journalist Dith Pran, in ''Film/TheKillingFields'', which ended up his best known and most acclaimed role. He was the first (and until Creator/KeHuyQuan's win in the same category at the 95th academy awards, the ''only'') actor of Asian descent to win an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actor (and that was very much AwardCategoryFraud considering his screentime in the film). He appeared in a dozen other productions afterwards.

Unable to resume his medicine practice in the US, and despite not having trained as an actor before, he was cast in the role of a fellow [[MetaCasting Cambodian]] [[ActorSharedBackground Cambodian]] GenocideSurvivor, journalist Dith Pran, in ''Film/TheKillingFields'', which ended up his best known and most acclaimed role. He was the first (and until Creator/KeHuyQuan's win in the same category at the 95th academy awards, the ''only'') actor of Asian descent to win an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actor (and that was very much AwardCategoryFraud considering his screentime in the film). He appeared in a dozen other productions afterwards.

Unable to resume his medicine practice in the US, and despite not having trained as an actor before, he was cast in the role of a fellow RealLife [[MetaCasting Cambodian genocide]] [[ActorSharedBackground survivor]], journalist Dith Pran, in ''Film/TheKillingFields'', which ended up his best known and most acclaimed role. He was the first (and until Creator/KeHuyQuan's win in the same category at the 95th academy awards, the ''only'') actor of Asian descent to win an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actor (and that was very much AwardCategoryFraud considering his screentime in the film). He appeared in a dozen other productions afterwards.

Unable to resume his medicine practice in the US, and despite not having trained as an actor before, he was cast in the role of a fellow RealLife [[MetaCasting Cambodian genocide]] [[ActorSharedBackground survivor]], journalist Dith Pran, in ''Film/TheKillingFields'', which ended up his best known and most acclaimed role. He was the first (and until Creator/KeHuyKuan's win in the same category at the 95th academy awards, the ''only'') actor of Asian descent to win an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actor (and that was very much AwardCategoryFraud considering his screentime in the film). He appeared in a dozen other productions afterwards.

Unable to resume his medicine practice in the US, and despite not having trained as an actor before, he was cast in the role of a fellow RealLife [[MetaCasting Cambodian genocide]] [[ActorSharedBackground survivor]], journalist Dith Pran, in ''Film/TheKillingFields'', which ended up his best known and most acclaimed role. So far, he is the only actor of Asian descent to win an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actor (and that was very much AwardCategoryFraud considering his screentime in the film). He appeared in a dozen other productions afterwards.

Unable to resume his medicine practice in the US, and despite not having trained as an actor before, he was cast in the role of a fellow RealLife [[MetaCasting Cambodian genocide]] [[ActorSharedBackground survivor]], journalist Dith Pran, in ''Film/TheKillingFields'', which ended up his best known and most acclaimed role. So far, he is the only actor of Asian descent to win an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actor (and that was very much AwardCategoryFraud considering his screentime in the film).

He appeared in a dozen other productions afterwards. He was murdered at the age of 55 in a bungled robbery outside his home in Los Angeles on February 25, 1996.

He appeared in a dozen other productions afterwards. He was murdered in a bungled robbery outside his home in Los Angeles on February 25, 1996. He was 55.

Haing Somnang Ngor ((Khmer: ហាំង សំណាង ង៉ោ, March 22, 1940 – February 25, 1996) was a UsefulNotes/{{Cambodia}}n-[=American=] actor of Cambodian and Chinese descent.

Haing Somnang Ngor (March 22, 1940 – February 25, 1996) was a UsefulNotes/{{Cambodia}}n-[=American=] actor of Cambodian and Chinese descent.

Unable to resume his medicine practice in the US, and despite not having trained as an actor before, he was cast in the role of a fellow RealLife [[MetaCasting Cambodian genocide]] [[ActorSharedBackground survivor]], journalist Dith Pran, in ''Film/TheKillingFields'', which ended up his best known and most acclaimed role. So far, he is the only actor of Asian descent to win an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actor.

He first trained as a surgeon and gynecologist. In the late 1970s, he managed to survive under the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot that took over Cambodia and submitted the country to a horrific purge that killed millions (including his wife), later qualified as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_genocide genocide]]. After managing to escape Cambodia, he worked in a refugee camp in UsefulNotes/{{Thailand}}, then moved to America.

He first trained as a surgeon and gynecologist. In the late 1970s, he managed to survive under the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot that took over Cambodia and submitted the country to a horrific "social experiment" that killed millions (including his wife), later qualified as genocide. After managing to escape Cambodia, he worked in a refugee camp in UsefulNotes/{{Thailand}}, then moved to America.

He first trained as a surgeon and gynecologist. In the late 1970s, he managed to survive under the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot that took over Cambodia and submitted the country to a horrific "social experiment" that killed millions (including his wife), which was later qualified as genocide. After managing to escape Cambodia, he worked in a refugee camp in UsefulNotes/{{Thailand}}, then moved to America.

He first trained as a surgeon and gynecologist. In the late 1970s, he managed to survive under the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot that took over the country and submitted it to a horrific "social experiment" that killed millions (including his wife), which was later qualified as genocide. After managing to escape Cambodia, he worked in a refugee camp in UsefulNotes/{{Thailand}}, then moved to America.

He first trained as a surgeon and gynecologist. In the late 1970s, he managed to survive under the Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot that took over the country and submitted it to a horrific "social experiment" that killed millions (including his wife) and was later qualified as genocide. After escaping Cambodia, he worked in a refugee camp in UsefulNotes/{{Thailand}}, then moved to America.

Unable to resume his medicine practice in the US, and despite not having trained as an actor before, he was cast in the role of a fellow RealLife Cambodian genocide survivor, journalist Dith Pran, in ''Film/TheKillingFields'', which ended up his best known and most acclaimed role. So far, he is the only actor of Asian descent to win an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Supporting Actor.