Haing S. Ngor

Biography

Haing Somnang Ngor was born on March 22, 1940, in French Indochina, at a time of colonial rule soon to be followed by decades of conflict in Cambodia. He studied medicine and became a gynecologist and physician, building a successful practice in Cambodia in the 1960s and early 1970s. His medical career abruptly ended in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia, starting one of the most brutal genocides of the 20th century.

During the Cambodian genocide from 1975 to 1979, Ngor faced forced labor, starvation, torture, and the loss of his wife and unborn child. He had to hide his medical background because intellectuals and professionals were targets for execution by the Khmer Rouge regime. Surviving required extraordinary resilience and the ability to adapt to harsh labor camp conditions. After the Khmer Rouge was overthrown by Vietnamese forces in 1979, Ngor eventually escaped Cambodia and moved to the United States in 1980.

In Los Angeles, Ngor got involved in helping the Cambodian-American community, assisting fellow refugees in adjusting to life in America. His life took an unexpected turn when he was cast in The Killing Fields (1984), a biographical drama about the Cambodian genocide. Although he had no previous acting experience, Ngor portrayed journalist Dith Pran so convincingly that he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1985. He made history as the first actor of Asian descent to receive this honor and the second non-professional actor ever to win an Oscar.

After The Killing Fields, Ngor appeared in several other films and TV shows while continuing his advocacy work for Cambodian refugees and genocide survivors. He wrote an autobiography detailing his experiences under the Khmer Rouge and became a well-known voice in raising awareness about the atrocities of the Cambodian genocide. On February 25, 1996, Ngor was murdered outside his home in Los Angeles. Although three men were convicted of his murder, which seemed to be a robbery, there was ongoing speculation that his death was linked to his outspoken criticism of the Khmer Rouge, though this was never definitively proven.