https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3265555/
By accident, I viewed Tiff's tapes on the net. So proud of her. So far she's the best Viet-Am actress I have seen on screen.
In war-torn Vietnam, film was in an infantile industry. Almost always, a screen actress playing leading roles or pairing with their leading man meant "pretty girl." Tham thuy Hang, kieu Chinh, thanh Nga, kim Vui, thanh Lan, all bore this "trademark" as Vietnamese beauties. Many times, their job meant...to be pretty and spice up the screen!
Only during my time and Tiff's time (the next generation, in America), can actresses live their roles as real people. Real characters became the real standard. Actresses should not care how they look on camera. They care about being their character! They portray old, young, poor, rich, strong, weak, etc., all in character. Leading role or supporting role, five minutes on film or the whole feature, angry or depressed, stressed or relaxed, they portray life, emotions, conflicts, tension, and reality, as called for by the script. They don't try to be pretty, self-conscious, or affectatious.
Tiff makes a real difference!
I first met Tiff when she was...a baby (and I was five or six). And then I re-met her as an adult in America, the D.C. area, when she delivered a speech/monologue on Vietnamese literature in exile, with confidence, honesty, and eloquence. I went "wow, I want to befriend this young woman." Never had the chance although I knew her by way of her family background. We are both from the Hue bunch!
Only recently on FB did I get to see her on screen. I recognized the "imbedded" Hue accent even though she spoke English on film. So, our roots brought us together, now as older women in America.
She has been a working film actress all this time, a member of SAG and all that good stuff. That alone speaks for her career!
Thank you, Nicole, for posting this! We're, also, proud of her.
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendy.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun back in D.C. when aunty Hà Thanh was still alive. She was my greatest inspiration.