Nguyễn Chánh Tín

Merited Artist Nguyễn Chánh Tín (November 29, 1952 – January 4, 2020) was a Vietnamese film actor, director and TV presenter. Initially a successful singer in 1970s South Vietnam, he turned to acting in theatre troupes following the confiscation of his properties by the new Vietnamese government and struggled to make a living. While incarcerated after a failed attempt to escape to America at the border, he was offered the role Robert Nguyễn Thành Luân in the series Ván Bài Lật Ngửa / Cards on the Table (1982 - 1987), which then became the most memorable and iconic performance of his acting career, earning him a Best Actor award at 1985 Vietnam Film Festival. With good looks and great onscreen presence, Chánh Tín quickly garnered a large base of supporters, and rose to prominence as a veteran actor in 1990s Vietnamese cinema. He tried his hand at screenwriting in 1992 with a psychological horror, Ngôi Nhà Oan Khốc, which grossed over 1 billion VND at the time of its release. Next, Bến Sông Trăng (1998) marked his return to socio-psychological films. In the mid-2000s, he made his mark with Dòng Máu Anh Hùng (2006), directed by Charlie Nguyen, his nephew.