Vietnamese actor Kaity Nguyen looks to Korean cinema as model for global success

Vietnamese actor Kaity Nguyen speaks during an interview with the Hankook Ilbo in Da Nang, Vietnam, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Jung Ji-yong

“The appeal of Vietnamese cinema lies in its diversity,” Kaity Nguyen, a 27-year-old Vietnamese actor and producer said of the local film industry as the fourth Da Nang Asian Film Festival opened in the coastal city of Da Nang, Vietnam.

“From the north to central Vietnam and the south, each region has a different culture, and there is history accumulated over many years. There are so many stories to tell audiences around the world,” she told the Hankook Ilbo in an interview on Sunday. “Not only historical events but also stories about the lives of Vietnamese people today are being made more and more.”

Nguyen is the festival’s youngest juror and has also moved into production. She has built a career marked by critical recognition and box-office success in Vietnam. She rose to stardom with her 2017 debut film, “Em Chua 18,” winning best actress at the Viet Film Festival. She later appeared in Blood Moon Party” in 2020, “The Last Wife” in 2023 and “Hijacked” in 2025, films that won over critics and audiences.

Looking back to the year she made her debut, Nguyen said the Vietnamese film industry has seen a rapid change.

Vietnamese actor Kaity Nguyen, center, who serves as a juror at the Da Nang Asian Film Festival / Korea Times photo by Jung Ji-yong

“Over the past 10 years, the Vietnamese film industry has grown at a remarkable speed,” she said. “As new directors, writers and producers have emerged, there have been more opportunities to introduce Vietnam’s own colorful stories to the world.”

Vietnam’s total box-office revenue reached about 5.593 trillion dong ($210 million) last year, up 24 percent from 2024.

A scene from "The Last Wife," a 2023 film directed by Victor Vu and starring Vietnamese actor Kaity Nguyen / Korea Times file

Nguyen pointed to Korean cinema’s global success as evidence that local culture can reach international audiences.

“ I think the reason Korea was able to get closer to the international film industry and audiences was because of Korea’s own culture,” she said. “The Vietnamese film industry is also at the stage of discovering stories from our daily lives and history. I hope that next year or the year after, we will be able to introduce stories containing Vietnam’s own culture and identity at Cannes or the Busan International Film Festival.”

The word Nguyen returned to throughout the interview, both as an actor and producer, was “individuality.”

“For Vietnamese cinema to grow one step further, creators must show their own colors,” she said. “I hope they are not afraid to think differently and express themselves differently.”

Her own work rhythm reflects that view. Nguyen appears in about one film a year, a pace she said gives her time away from sets.

“To become a better actor, I need life experience,” she said. “This year, too, I am taking a break from acting projects, spending time with myself and learning what I want.”

A scene from "Blood Moon Party," the Vietnamese remake of the Korean box-office hit "Intimate Strangers," starring Kaity Nguyen/ Korea Times file

Her filmography also gives Korean audiences a point of connection. “Blood Moon Party” is the Vietnamese remake of the Korean film “Intimate Strangers.” It became a major box-office hit, rising to No. 3 on Vietnam’s all-time box-office chart.

Nguyen also named Song Hye-kyo as an actor she admires.

“When she was young, she often played roles with a friendly image, but if you look at recent works such as 'The Glory,' she shows herself dealing with and embracing pain,” Nguyen said. I enjoy watching her acting, in which she has fully accepted all experiences and emotions in life and grown. I respect her as an actor.”

Asked which of her films she would like to introduce to Korea the most, Nguyen chose “Hijacked,” which she produced and starred in last year. The film succeeded at the box office and was inspired by a real passenger plane hijacking in Vietnam in 1978. For Nguyen, the story also carries a family connection.

“Because my mother is a flight attendant, it is a very close and precious story,” she said. “You can also see the standout performances of many new actors.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.