Phi Nga

July 27, 1935 — Saigon, French Cochinchina

Merited Artist Vũ Phi Nga (27th July 1935 - 27th November 1985) was a Vietnamese actress. Originally from Saigon, she moved to Hanoi after the partition of Vietnam in 1954 and joined the inaugural acting faculty of Hanoi National Academy of Theatre and Performing Arts with the likes of Trà Giang, Kim Chi and Lịch Du. Her first credit was as Hoài in “Chung một dòng sông” (1959) - North Vietnam’s first film post-colonial French era and a symbolic work of its 1960s war cinema; the young actress was universally acclaimed for her minimalistic yet effective and compelling portrayal despite lacking in prior professional training. Phi Nga’s health deteriorated significantly due to heart issues just a few years into her acting career, and she quitted acting overall after “Vĩ tuyến 17 ngày và đêm”(1973), retreating back to only teaching at the National Academy of Theatre. She passed away from a stroke in 1985.