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I found my heart in San Francisco

Sunday, Oct 21, 2007 8:58AM / Standard Entry

What a trip this has been; this week of universities and colleges. It all culiminated in our opening last night at the Bridge theater to a SOLD OUT audience. By the way, this was, and is not a one-time showing as some people has been led to believe. We are at The Bridge all day and all week, folks!! You know, a regular movie.

The energy was just amazing; I can literally feel the "electricity in the air." Or may be it was just the malfunctioning microphone zapping me. On a serious note, this has been one of the best times I've had without the assist of halucigenics, lol. It really has been about "the journey."

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Bay Area Love

Thursday, Oct 18, 2007 11:56AM / Standard Entry
So here I am, in Berkley, after a great weekend with the FTG family in san Diego. Evan and myself are speaking with the film students at Berkley. I went to a junior college and never really seen much of the Universities, so walking through Berkley was something else. It really lives up to its image: cool, hippie vibe; there were even some walking around with guitars and incense tied to their backpack! Evan commented that it was a "look", like hip-hop, ect ... it looked like a costume. I mean do people really leave the house looking like that anymore?
We then went to Stanford the next day, which was even bigger; a city in and of itself! Then a few hours later, Evan drove us all the way to UC Davis for our talk there in the evening. Throughout this whole trip, I kept thinking how impressed I am with all these students. They all had their own clubs and associations; this whole college life that I never had. College was miserable, and I barely got through it! They were really into the documentary behind-the-scenes and howling during the trailer. The one common thread I noticed in all the talks we've had is the sense of ... "how can we as a community have a voice?" There had been some that shared with us how disconnected they feel, and that through these conversations, something sparked in them ... a renewal of some sort. For me these interactions are quite inspirational, and it does renew my energy to forge ahead with my fellow artists to make a difference, to start a movement."

Check out some more pics.

Evan Checking out the Seen

Line Outside UC Davis

Madeline Made It Happen!

UC Davis - Grassroots Advertising!

Taking Some Time Out

Student Organizers Giving Us Big Support!

Parting Shot and Feeling the Love
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roger's first vietnamese sandwich!

Friday, Oct 12, 2007 2:46AM / Standard Entry

After much build up on the way down to Orange County yesterday for our press conference, Roger had his first "banh mi"; Vietnamese sandwich. And he loved it!! All and all it was a good day, bouncing from one press interview to the next, in between Vietnamese meals. We kept going back to the same restaurant since it had everything to choose from. We even went back there for a late dinner with Justin. The owner is convinced he'll see us again the next day! The UCI student association was awesome; great turn out, they even had a DJ spinning while Roger and I talked, which according to Roger, is a new thing. We talked in great length about Asian-American as a community, how we are represented. And more importantly, how do WE want ourselves represented. And LETTING THE POWER THAT BE KNOW WE DEMAND IT. I was very moved by some of the students who came up afterwards and shared that there is a sense of non-identity they're feeling when they look around. But every once in a while, a BETTERLUCK TOMORROW comes around and it feels good to indentify with something ... real. This, is something we all are working towards, as a unified community, to make a difference. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, buttoday, we have decided to take action. As a community, we will make some noise. As Roger said last night, "if we don't, who will?" We're off to San Diego today for the opening night of San Diego Asian Film Festival. Looks like another stop-over to Little Saigon for lunch!

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a great start!

Monday, Oct 8, 2007 2:40PM / Standard Entry

That's so awesome that the support for the film in NY is overwhelming!! I'm so looking forward to the West Coast opening in a few weeks. I heard rumors MC will swing by to support. Of course, the cast will be there as usual. The video of opening days in NY is great! And what about the haunted hotel Roger and Sung were talking about? I can't wait to hear about this from the guys when they're back next week in LA. We're opening the San Diego Asian Film Festival on Oct. 11th. Yes!

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Family out in the cold

Thursday, Oct 4, 2007 5:07AM / Standard Entry

Looking at this picture of us at Sundance this year, I was reminded of this feeling of unity. Here we were, freezing our asses off that night, running around the town plastering the movie's posters on every available surface. Let me tell you ... it was cold as hell for me; my fingers were numb, and yet, I was elated. I was elated because I felt that I was part of this community of artists who were giving everything to something they believed in. I know that it's the spirit of indie film making; the spirit of Sundance. But it was my first time at Sundance, and more importantly, it was my first indie film at Sundance. It was my first indie film where I felt we were "the underdogs," in a playing field of the "Hollywood Indies," which is what Sundance has become through the years. I've been told about what it was like for Justin and the gang when they were there for Better Luck Tomorrow. So being there for Finishing The Game, I can only extrapolate what it was like for them; the gratification they must have felt, having gambled everything for what they believed in. And it paid off.

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2/3

Dustin Tri Nguyen

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After escaping from Vietnam with his family on the day Saigon fell in 1975, Dustin Nguyen (pronounced "Gwen") went on to establish himself as one of Hollywood's premiere Asian-American actors, having ...
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After escaping from Vietnam with his family on the day Saigon fell in 1975, Dustin Nguyen (pronounced "Gwen") went on to establish himself as one of Hollywood's premiere Asian-American actors, having starred on such hit shows as _"21 Jump Street" "Seaquest DSV", as well as feature films.

Of noteworthy is Nguyen landing the much coveted starring role in the critically acclaimed Little Fish (2005) opposite Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett. Nguyen plays Jonny, Cate's love interest in a story that revolves around her Tracy, a former heroin addict trying to rebuild her life. Nguyen, also a recovered addict, re-enters her life determined to convince her that they are still meant to be together. The film, which also stars Hugo Weaving, Sam Neill and Martin Henderson, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to become the number-one film in Australia. Along the way, it collected 5 Australian Film Institute Awards and 3 Film Critics Awards. Little Fish then opened in New York to rave reviews. Critics took note of Nguyen's performance and transformation into a leading man among the A-list cast.

Most recently, Nguyen starred in Justin Lin's latest film Finishing The Game, which is having its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. In this 1970's comedy, Nguyen plays an out-of -work actor who is in the midst of a casting call to replace the freshly deceased Bruce Lee in his unfinished "Game Of Death." Nguyen also had just starred in his first villain role in The Rebel, a French-Vietnamese 1920's period action-drama, as well as a romantic lead in Saigon Eclipse, a modern day love-story set in Saigon, Vietnam. These two films marked Nguyen's first return to Vietnam in 32 years.

In earlier years, Nguyen has also found success in feature films. He landed a pivotal role in Warner Bros.' Heaven & Earth (1993), directed by Oliver Stone, followed by the action-drama No Escape, No Return (1993). In addition, he also starred in the independent romantic-comedy Hundred Percent (1998).

Born in South Vietnam, Nguyen enjoyed a comfortable existence, his father being one of the nation's top film and stage actors. Forced to leave the country on virtually a moment's notice when the North Vietnamese took over the country, the Nguyens became the first Vietnamese family to settle in St. Louis, MO. During his junior high school years, Nguyen found "personal excellence" through martial arts, which he describes as "the first awakening of my soul." Following high school, he moved to Southern California to attend Orange Coast College, and at the suggestion of a friend, took an acting class - or as he describes it "the second awakening of my soul." The rest, as he puts it, "was a series of fateful events."

After making his professional debut on a special two-hour "Magnum, P.I." (1980) where he played a young Cambodian freedom fighter, Nguyen went on to enjoy enormous popularity as Suki on "General Hospital" (1963). His breakthrough role, however, came when he was cast as Det. Harry Ioki in the new Fox network's flagship show "21 Jump Street" (1987), on which he starred for four seasons. It was here that Nguyen became the first prime-time Asian heartthrob, and got his official introduction to fame!

What is more to his liking is testing his limits on his Ducati motorcycle, or practicing his Muay Thai kick-boxing.

When not out navigating hairpin turns on his bike, Nguyen spends his spare time practicing several styles of martial arts. In addition to Muay Thai, he also trains in Tae Kwon Do, the Filipino-based styles of Kali and Escrima, and, most of all, Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do.

Nguyen's then largely unknown martial arts expertise was showcased when he starred in the Levi Jeans' European "Hero" campaign, which expanded upon his ever-growing international profile. The campaign was uniquely ground-breaking in that it was the first time Levi's had used an Asian lead. For Nguyen, it offered the first opportunity to apply his love for the martial arts along with his dramatic training as he collaborated with director Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast, Birth) on the fight choreography.

Nguyen and his wife, former model/actress Angela Rockwood-Nguyen, are also very involved with The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. Several years ago, his wife was involved in a car accident that left her paralyzed, rendering her quadriplegic. Since then, they have worked closely with the foundation and have recently become the spokespersons for The Paralysis Resource Center's Minority Communities Outreach Campaign, which aims to increase awareness of and access to the PRC amongst minority communities in the US.

On the business side, Nguyen has an exclusive custom silver jewelry line called Imperial Rose Collections. Its unique and artistic designs are catching on with the in-crowd of Hollywood and Japan.

Dustin and his wife Angela live in Los Angeles.

(Mini Biography taken from IMDb and written by Jay D. Schwartz, Publicist)
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Occupation: Actor
Gender: Male
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