In 1985, he won a historic Oscar: eleven years later, he was killed in front of his own home.

For his first appearance in the 1984 historical drama “Tear”, actor and doctor Heing S. Ngor won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the first Asian American to win the award in that category. And yet, nothing destined him for glory.

Born in Cambodia in 1940, Haing S. Ngor He was a doctor specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. However, his prosperous life in the capital, Phnom Penh, was turned upside down in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge, a communist movement led by a ruthless dictator, overthrew the Cambodian government and launched a years-long campaign to purge its population of people they considered a political or intellectual threat. Among the many Cambodians forced into the village were Ngor and his wife, Chang Mai Hui, who ended up in a forced labor camp. She died in childbirth: neither she nor the child survived. Ngor endured torture and starvation and was forced to disguise his role as a doctor to avoid certain death.

Only after the collapse of the regime did Ngor and his niece flee to Thailand. The following year, they immigrated to the United States, settling in Los Angeles, where Ngor eventually got a job counseling other refugees. It was during this time that she met Pat Golden at a wedding in California. A casting director was then looking for actors for a film about the Cambodian genocide, and offered Ngor the role of Dit Pran, a journalist who also survived Khmer Rouge rule. Although he never appeared on camera, Golden said that Ngori “He had an innate talent for actingAnd, despite initial hesitation, the latter accepted the role and returned to Thailand to film a tear.

Obviously, given the nature of the film, the idea of ​​revisiting her traumatic history must have been difficult for Ngori, but director Roland Joffe praised her, telling the Hollywood Reporter:He was very brave. The game is about giving the soul and he did that.”

A recognized greeting in Hollywood

When it came out in 1984, a tear It was well received by critics and when awards season arrived, the feature film received 7 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor. Haing S. Ngor.

Stuck in Los Angeles traffic on the way to the ceremony, Ngor and his niece Sophia Ngor Demetrius arrived at the venue just as the actor heard his name announced as Best Supporting Actor of the Year.

Taking the stage in front of the audience and millions of television viewers, he delivered a memorable speech with a mixture of pride, humility and gratitude. Then he gave his statue to his niece and said:This is for you. I did it for you.“Then a tearNgor continued to make occasional film and television appearances and campaigned to raise awareness of the Cambodian genocide until early 1996.

a tragedy

However, on February 25, 1996, his life was tragically cut short at the age of 55 when he was confronted and shot by three teenagers outside his Los Angeles home. While his death was ultimately believed to be the result of a botched burglary attempt, other details have since emerged that indicate stronger, darker forces were at work. Indeed, in the following years, the legitimacy of this decision was questioned. According to People, the teenagers didn’t even steal his Mercedes or the $3,700 in cash he had on it, certainly suspicious facts for suspected thieves. However, they were tried and convicted.

But given his vocal and prolific activism regarding the Cambodian genocide, the idea that Ngor’s killing was politically motivated and perhaps even ordered by former members of the Khmer Rouge has gained momentum among members of the Cambodian community in America.

In 2016, director Arthur Dong revealed to Vice media the possibility that Ngor was killed by the Khmer Rouge, citing the words of Kang Khek Yew (nicknamed “Comrade Duchy”), one of the regime’s main maniacs, who said. that death Haing S. Ngor Remnants of the Khmer Rouge ordered. Ngori’s niece also expressed concern that he was killed by political enemies. “I was afraid of him because he spoke Cambodia fluentlyHe told People. “It wasn’t safe, but he didn’t care. He only wanted to help the people of his country. But the Khmer Rouge were still there, so I was still worried about him.“

His legacy lives on

Although we may never know his exact motive for murder, there is certainly one Haing S. Ngor Significant impact on his history and tireless commitment to highlighting the Cambodian genocide. “He used his fame to educate peopleHis niece told the Hollywood Reporter. “And today, whenever people see his Oscar, they ask me about Cambodia, and his legacy lives on.”

Despite his relatively short time in the spotlight, Haing S. Ngor There was a beacon of hope shining a ray of light on one of history’s darkest chapters to prevent similar tragedies. A pioneer in more ways than one, his survival and activism will endure and continue to inspire us.

His masterful performance in La Déchirure is definitely worth discovering if you haven’t already.

And here’s his rousing speech at the 1985 Oscars: