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Actor La Thoại Tân Passed Away

Veteran actor and comedian La Thoại Tân recently passed away in Los Angeles, California Thursday March 13, 2008 at the age of 72.

La Thoại Tân’s real name is Phạm Văn Tần. His career kicked off during the 1960s in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam as a multitalented performer along with other veterans such as Vân Hùng, Trần Quang, and Thẩm Thúy Hằng who worked together with La Thoại Tân on many film projects as well as television shows. Besides his acting job, and as a comedian, La Thoại Tân is also a writer and an emcee. Upon coming over to the U.S. in 1975, La Thoại Tân continued to work successfully for the Vietnamese community overseas. Audiences will always remember La Thoại Tân in movies before 1975 as well as his contribution to the Vietnamese entertainment industry.
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Comments

Myson Nguyen said…
that is kinda sad.i remember when he was on paris by night 24: 10th anniversary when he performed with rick murphy. it is histarical.

http://www.thuynga.fr/details.php?idprod=520
5:23 PM
Anonymous said…
dear blogger
thanks so much for the news...
It's a great loss for our community.
Further more, would you please drop the phase "Ho Chi Minh City" and use Saigon all the time please...most of US Viet who follows your blogs are Vietnamese Americans in the US, and HCMC seems to be an awkward thing to hear/say, and we don't associate with that name anyway...
thanks pretty
9:51 PM
Unknown said…
La Thoai tan was a legend. When he was performing in Saigon formerly known as Ho Chi Minh City at the time, he was like a rock star. I wish i lived in VN back then to know more about him. Handsome and talented man he was. Just like a Jackie Chan now these days. I bet if he was alive and young like he was before he'd be seen in American movies, and better.
11:32 PM
Anonymous said…
Many people only knew La Thoai Tan as a comedy genius and an actor, but few knows that he was more than that. He was always the top student when he was in high school, self-taught to read, write music, play piano, violin, guitar, drum and many other instruments. He spoke 6 different languages (excluding Vietnamese): English, French, Madarin, Cantonese, Japanese, and I forgot whate the other one was. He was also a very good writer (in which he has won awards for), a painting artist (in which he had also won awards for). He was also a director, a producer, a screen writer, etc. However, for all of the fame and popularity that he gathered when he was in VN, he was a really down-to-earth, simple and frugal person. Now a day we see Britney Spears gets knocked-up, Heath Ledger and others got OD and died, he never let the spot light and the glitter get to him. After the show and the movie, he doesn't stay to party, smoke, drink nor womanize. He would always go home and be with his family or start working on the next play, the next joke, the next punch line, the next script, or the next movie. He stayed late into the night to write those scripts, jokes, parody songs, stories, etc. After 1975, he - like many other early VNmese entertainers, was struggling to make a living. He was working odd jobs in between shows to support his family, and at the same time, he was always try to resurrect the his career and to contribute to Vietnamese art in US. He was truly a genuine hard-working star. My heart sank when I realized that he is never coming back.
1:41 AM
Anonymous said…
Like sing/actor Hung Cuong, La Thoai Tan is a multi-talented man, perhaps even more talented. This man is a legend. Ever time I think of him, I laugh. I first became his fan as a kid in the early 80's when I saw "Tu Quay Saigon," "Tieu Vuong Hoi" series, and his dubbing in "So Luu Huong," epecially the four great bodyguards. La Thoai Tan will always be remembered!
6:51 PM
Anonymous said…
Im from Australia and I only found out about La Thoai Tan's death recently. This man entertained me as a small child and his video's kept me laughing even when I was alone, so I like to think that he was kind like family to me. His comedy was original and hilarious, and I dont think anyone else can ever live up to him. I feel like I've lost a part of my childhood. I thankyou very much much for informing on his passing,I know he cant last forever.
9:38 AM
Anonymous said…
the age of innocence... that's what i think of when i pop in my cassette tape of "hai huoc"... i have these tapes since vn... LTT and the rest of gang are classic... no doubt this is sad to many people... including me... and yes... thanks for all these blogs... keep up the good work... that's all...
7:21 PM
Anonymous said…
It must be around Summer 1962 after I got admitted to Jean Jacques Rousseau. I've got to take the Tetanus/Diphtheria shots on my back in the Institute of Pasteur on the Pasteur st. Three times altogether and it hurt like hell for weeks. In one of the occasions, my father took me to My Van Film, somewhere off Tran Quy Cap St to watch the filming of Nguu Lang Chuc Nu where I saw La Thoai Tan and Tham Thuy Hang in persons for the first time, acting on an indoor gazebo set. They looked so lovely. I have just saw a recent photo of Tham Thuy Hang, my heart is broken to pieces.
6:15 PM
Anonymous said…
It was in 1973 when I was a little girl at Lycee Marie Curie. My Van Films was next to our school so we saw many actors and actresses came in and out of My Van Films every day. I saw Tham Thuy Hang for the first time and I was so stunned at her beauty. My heart hurts when I saw her recent picture, "nguoi doi sao tan ac qua, no giet di hinh anh dep cua 1 nguoi tai sac ven toan".
3:10 AM
Tommy Lee said…
Please don't believe at the distorted photo that someone maliciously edited to attack her personally due to her extreme popularity and staying back in her lovely Saigon with her husband Harvard-educated Nguyen Xuan Oanh. These people tried to target everyone who they doubted a VC! She's not a VC, just patriotic to her homeland! I met her last year in person and she's gorgeous as flight attendant, Nguyen Cao Ky, ex-wife! Of course, it's aging process for everyone older than 70. Please compare Elizabeth Taylor or Sophie Laurent at this time! They are a different kind of aging beauty like Kieu Chinh!
Please don't damage a person's image for your own cause!
Ly Le Hoa-Hongkong actress ( I know that I am uglier than Vietnamese counterparts due to my Chinese features!)
4:04 PM
Anonymous said…
Chang co nguoi doi nao tan ac ca. Silicon injected la do co Tham Thuy Hang muon nhu the ma.Co ta muon dep hon nua nen moi bang long lam nhu vay.
9:38 PM
Anonymous said…
Nguyen cao Ky ex-wife wasn't born beautiful. She got plastic sugeries from Japan long time ago. Nose fixed, eyelid surgery, skin face peeled, etc...No wonder her daughter copy her, plastic from head to toes. Only Tham Thuy Hang is real beauty but she abused her face too much by silicon injected .
9:46 PM
Anonymous said…
Hey Tom, it's clearly Tham Thuy Hang face now changed completed 100%.It's from aging and silicon injected. Her husband wasn't Viet Cong but he used to work for them.What you call it?????? Viet gian??????
9:59 PM
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