Forced to flee home and rebuild their lives in a new country, refugees bring a range of skills, talents and experiences with them. Some even have achieved flourishing careers in the world of film and television.
With the approach of the 95th Academy Awards on March 12, we celebrate former refugees who have been nominated for some of the most prestigious awards in the entertainment industry—past and present.
Haing S. Ngor
Best Supporting Actor, The Killing Fields (1984)
A survivor of the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror in his native Cambodia, Haing S. Ngor, a doctor, endured years in Cambodian prison camps before fleeing to the safety of a Red Cross refugee camp in Thailand.
Moving to Los Angeles, Ngor was offered the role of Cambodian journalist Dith Pran in The Killing Fields. Despite his lack of acting experience,…
