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{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Short description|Vietnamese-American actress and restaurateur}}
{{Short description|American actress (1971–2017)}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Hiep Thi Le
| name = Hiep Thi Le
| image =Hiep Thi Le.jpg
| image = Hiep Thi Le.jpg
| caption =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1971|02|18|mf=yes}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1971|02|18|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Da Nang]], [[Quảng Nam Province|Quảng Nam]], [[South Vietnam]]
| birth_place = [[Da Nang]], [[Quảng Nam province|Quảng Nam]], [[South Vietnam]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2017|12|19|1971|02|18|mf=yes}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2017|12|19|1971|02|18|mf=yes}}
| death_place = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| nationality = American
| other_names = Hiep Le
| other_names = Hiep Le
⚫
| alma_mater = [[University of California, Davis]]
| education = {{plainlist|
⚫
| occupation = Actress
* [[Oakland High School (Oakland, California)|Oakland High School]]
| years_active = 1993–2011
⚫
* [[University of California, Davis]]
}}
⚫
| occupation = {{hlist|Actress|restaurateur}}
| years_active = 1993–2011 (actress) <br> 2002–2016 (restaurateur)
}}
}}


'''Hiep Thi Le''' ({{lang-vi|'''Lê Hiệp Thị'''}}; February 18, 1971 – December 19, 2017) was a [[Vietnamese Americans|Vietnamese-American]] actress and restaurateur. She is best known for her portrayal of [[Le Ly Hayslip|Le Ly]] in the film ''[[Heaven & Earth (1993 film)|Heaven & Earth]]'' (1993).
'''Hiep Thi Le''' ({{langx|vi|'''Lê Thị Hiệp'''}}; February 18, 1971 – December 19, 2017) was an American actress. She is known for her portrayal of [[Le Ly Hayslip|Le Ly]] in [[Oliver Stone]]{{'s}} war drama film ''[[Heaven & Earth (1993 film)|Heaven & Earth]]'' (1993).


==Early life==
==Early life==
Line 27: Line 25:
Along with approximately 60 other refugees, hid in a secret compartment behind a [[galley]] [[pantry]] on a [[fishing boat]] sailing to Hong Kong to reunite with their father.
Along with approximately 60 other refugees, hid in a secret compartment behind a [[galley]] [[pantry]] on a [[fishing boat]] sailing to Hong Kong to reunite with their father.


<blockquote>Sometime during the night, just as we arrived at a Vietnamese checkpoint, my sister woke up and started screaming for our momma ... Everyone thought we were going to die", she says. That night, a fishing boat [[captain (nautical)|captain]] grabbed her screaming 7-year-old sister and put a [[knife]] to her throat. Le witnessed it and it scarred her for life. "Tears rolled down her face, but there was no more crying ... I thought her eyes were going to fall out of their sockets", she says. Her sister survived, and when they both reached port, they stayed in a Hong Kong refugee camp. They eventually reunited with her father in Hong Kong. Le's entire family – her parents and five children – were eventually reunited in [[Northern California]].<ref name=la>{{cite web|last=Mathews|first=Jack|title=One Among Thousands : First-time actress Hiep Thi Le, who beat out 16,000 hopefuls for the lead in 'Heaven and Earth', draws lessons from her fellow refugees|date=January 17, 1993|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://articles.latimes.com/1993-01-17/entertainment/ca-1813_1_hiep-thi-le|accessdate=March 1, 2015}}</ref><ref name=sf>{{cite web|last=Stack|first=Peter|title=Looking for a Laugh/"Bugis Street's Le stumbled into acting and really wants to do comedy"|date=October 25, 1997|newspaper=[[San Francisco Gate]]|url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Looking-for-a-Laugh-Bugis-Street-s-Le-2799800.php|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref></blockquote>
<blockquote>Sometime during the night, just as we arrived at a Vietnamese checkpoint, my sister woke up and started screaming for our momma ... Everyone thought we were going to die", she says. That night, a fishing boat [[captain (nautical)|captain]] grabbed her screaming 7-year-old sister and put a [[knife]] to her throat. Le witnessed it and it scarred her for life. "Tears rolled down her face, but there was no more crying ... I thought her eyes were going to fall out of their sockets", she says. Her sister survived, and when they both reached port, they stayed in a Hong Kong refugee camp. They eventually reunited with her father in Hong Kong. Le's entire family – her parents and five children – were eventually reunited in [[Northern California]].<ref name=la>{{cite web|last=Mathews|first=Jack|title=One Among Thousands : First-time actress Hiep Thi Le, who beat out 16,000 hopefuls for the lead in 'Heaven and Earth', draws lessons from her fellow refugees|date=January 17, 1993|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-17-ca-1813-story.html|access-date=March 1, 2015}}</ref><ref name=sf>{{cite web|last=Stack|first=Peter|title=Looking for a Laugh/"Bugis Street's Le stumbled into acting and really wants to do comedy"|date=October 25, 1997|newspaper=[[San Francisco Gate]]|url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Looking-for-a-Laugh-Bugis-Street-s-Le-2799800.php|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref></blockquote>


Eventually, Le moved to [[Oakland, California]] as a child, where her mother worked at a French-Vietnamese restaurant.<ref name=restaurant>{{cite web|last=Chavez|first=Paul|title=Venice Restaurateurs' Gastropub Pairs Filet Mignon with Jazz|date=June 29, 2012|publisher=[[Patch Media]]|url=http://patch.com/california/venice/venice-restaranteurs-gastropub-pairs-filet-mignon-with-jazz|accessdate=March 1, 2015}}</ref> She graduated from [[Oakland High School (Oakland, California)|Oakland High School]].<ref name=sf/> She attended the [[University of California, Davis]] with a [[Major (academic)|major]] in [[physiology]].<ref name=sf/><ref>{{cite web|last=Ehrman|first=Mark|title='Heaven' Packs 'Em In|date=December 20, 1993|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://articles.latimes.com/1993-12-20/news/vw-3921_1_hiep-thi-le|accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref>
Eventually, Le moved to [[Oakland, California]] as a child, where her mother worked at a French-Vietnamese restaurant.<ref name=restaurant>{{cite web|last=Chavez|first=Paul|title=Venice Restaurateurs' Gastropub Pairs Filet Mignon with Jazz|date=June 29, 2012|publisher=[[Patch Media]]|url=http://patch.com/california/venice/venice-restaranteurs-gastropub-pairs-filet-mignon-with-jazz|accessdate=March 1, 2015}}</ref> She graduated from [[Oakland High School (Oakland, California)|Oakland High School]].<ref name=sf/> She attended the [[University of California, Davis]] with a [[Major (academic)|major]] in [[physiology]].<ref name=sf/><ref>{{cite web|last=Ehrman|first=Mark|title='Heaven' Packs 'Em In|date=December 20, 1993|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-20-vw-3921-story.html|access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref>


Le originally had plans to graduate in June 1993 and pursue a career in science.<ref name=la/> As a college student, she went to an open casting call in Northern California "because all my friends were doing it for fun" and ended up being cast in the leading role of [[Oliver Stone]]'s third Vietnam film, ''[[Heaven & Earth (1993 film)|Heaven & Earth]]'' (1993),<ref name=hollywood/> set amid the turmoil of the [[Vietnam War]].
Le originally had plans to graduate in June 1993 and pursue a career in science.<ref name=la/> As a college student, she went to an open casting call in Northern California "because all my friends were doing it for fun" and ended up being cast in the leading role of [[Oliver Stone]]'s third Vietnam film, ''[[Heaven & Earth (1993 film)|Heaven & Earth]]'' (1993),<ref name=hollywood/> set amid the turmoil of the [[Vietnam War]].
Line 39: Line 37:
According to Stone, "Our people saw her, put her on video, thought she was electric, and flew her down to Los Angeles. I thought she was charismatic. We worked with her, put her on video with other actors, introduced her to [[Tommy Lee Jones]] and [[Joan Chen]] and [[Haing Ngor|Haing S. Ngor]], and then we put her on film. We tested her out for about five months, continuously, and she won the role. I didn't send her to any acting school. I didn't feel that it was necessary; she was a natural."<ref name=oliver/>
According to Stone, "Our people saw her, put her on video, thought she was electric, and flew her down to Los Angeles. I thought she was charismatic. We worked with her, put her on video with other actors, introduced her to [[Tommy Lee Jones]] and [[Joan Chen]] and [[Haing Ngor|Haing S. Ngor]], and then we put her on film. We tested her out for about five months, continuously, and she won the role. I didn't send her to any acting school. I didn't feel that it was necessary; she was a natural."<ref name=oliver/>


Although the film required Le to age over 30 years and cast her opposite a number of accomplished American and [[Asian people|Asian]] actors, the untrained actress received excellent reviews citing her [[sensitivity (human)|sensitivity]] and actorly [[grace (style)|grace]] as Hayslip.<ref name=hollywood/> In his review of the film, ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' film critic [[Kenneth Turan]] described her as "nonprofessional but very capable."<ref>{{cite web|last=Turan|first=Kenneth|title=MOVIE REVIEW: Stone's 'Earth': Larger Than Life|date=December 25, 1993|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://articles.latimes.com/1993-12-25/entertainment/ca-5238_1_oliver-stone|accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref>
Although the film required Le to age over 30 years and cast her opposite a number of accomplished American and [[Asian people|Asian]] actors, the untrained actress received excellent reviews citing her [[sensitivity (human)|sensitivity]] and actorly [[grace (style)|grace]] as Hayslip.<ref name=hollywood/> In his review of the film, ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' film critic [[Kenneth Turan]] described her as "nonprofessional but very capable."<ref>{{cite web|last=Turan|first=Kenneth|title=MOVIE REVIEW: Stone's 'Earth': Larger Than Life|date=December 25, 1993|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-25-ca-5238-story.html|access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref>


When Le was asked what she had learned from her experience with the film: "I have grown a lot. I have grown so much in the past two years, but the experiences that I went through throughout my whole life really made me what I am today."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a-yFqzSB1oUC&q=hiep+thi+le+people&pg=PA305|last2=Welsh|first2=James Michael|last1=Whaley|first1=Donald M.|title=The Oliver Stone Encyclopedia|year=2013|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780810883529}}</ref>
When Le was asked what she had learned from her experience with the film: "I have grown a lot. I have grown so much in the past two years, but the experiences that I went through throughout my whole life really made me what I am today."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a-yFqzSB1oUC&q=hiep+thi+le+people&pg=PA305|last2=Welsh|first2=James Michael|last1=Whaley|first1=Donald M.|title=The Oliver Stone Encyclopedia|year=2013|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780810883529}}</ref>
Line 46: Line 44:
Le subsequently appeared in ''[[Bugis Street (film)|Bugis Street]]'' (1995, released in the United States in 1997)<ref name=sf/><ref>{{cite web|last=Stack|first=Peter|title=Gay Film Festival Mixes It All Up/Tickets on sale Friday for expanded series|date=May 21, 1997|newspaper=[[San Francisco Gate]] |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Gay-Film-Festival-Mixes-It-All-Up-Tickets-on-2839062.php|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=NEW MOVIES Opening This Week|date=October 20, 1997|newspaper=[[San Francisco Gate]] |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/NEW-MOVIES-Opening-This-Week-2824787.php|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref> and co-starred in the little-seen ''[[Dead Man Can't Dance]]'' (1997).<ref name=hollywood/> Le made an appearance in the 1999 film ''Bastards''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Johnson|first=G. Allen|title=Asian American film fest: Yes, no|date=July 23, 1999|newspaper=[[San Francisco Gate]] |url=http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Asian-American-film-fest-Yes-no-3075231.php|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref>
Le subsequently appeared in ''[[Bugis Street (film)|Bugis Street]]'' (1995, released in the United States in 1997)<ref name=sf/><ref>{{cite web|last=Stack|first=Peter|title=Gay Film Festival Mixes It All Up/Tickets on sale Friday for expanded series|date=May 21, 1997|newspaper=[[San Francisco Gate]] |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Gay-Film-Festival-Mixes-It-All-Up-Tickets-on-2839062.php|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=NEW MOVIES Opening This Week|date=October 20, 1997|newspaper=[[San Francisco Gate]] |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/NEW-MOVIES-Opening-This-Week-2824787.php|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref> and co-starred in the little-seen ''[[Dead Man Can't Dance]]'' (1997).<ref name=hollywood/> Le made an appearance in the 1999 film ''Bastards''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Johnson|first=G. Allen|title=Asian American film fest: Yes, no|date=July 23, 1999|newspaper=[[San Francisco Gate]] |url=http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Asian-American-film-fest-Yes-no-3075231.php|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref>


She appeared in ''[[Green Dragon (film)|Green Dragon]]'' in 2001, opposite [[Patrick Swayze]] and [[Forest Whitaker]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Thomas|first=Kevin|title=A Look Back at a Time of Beginnings|date=May 1, 2002|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://articles.latimes.com/2002/may/01/entertainment/et-thomas1|accessdate=March 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Curiel|first=Jonathan|title=Longing for freedom/'Green Dragon' shows lives of Vietnamese refugees in U.S.|date=July 5, 2002|newspaper=[[San Francisco Gate]] |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Longing-for-freedom-Green-Dragon-shows-lives-2824767.php|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Meyer|first=Carla|title=New look of Asian American films/Festival opens with edgy 'Better Luck Tomorrow', honors 'Chan Is Missing'|date=March 3, 2002|newspaper=[[San Francisco Gate]] |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/New-look-of-Asian-American-films-Festival-opens-2867480.php|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref>
She appeared in ''[[Green Dragon (film)|Green Dragon]]'' in 2001, opposite [[Patrick Swayze]] and [[Forest Whitaker]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Thomas|first=Kevin|title=A Look Back at a Time of Beginnings|date=May 1, 2002|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-may-01-et-thomas1-story.html|access-date=March 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Curiel|first=Jonathan|title=Longing for freedom/'Green Dragon' shows lives of Vietnamese refugees in U.S.|date=July 5, 2002|newspaper=[[San Francisco Gate]] |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Longing-for-freedom-Green-Dragon-shows-lives-2824767.php|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Meyer|first=Carla|title=New look of Asian American films/Festival opens with edgy 'Better Luck Tomorrow', honors 'Chan Is Missing'|date=March 3, 2002|newspaper=[[San Francisco Gate]] |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/New-look-of-Asian-American-films-Festival-opens-2867480.php|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref>


==Restaurateur==
==Restaurateur==
After a long career in the film industry, Le opened up The China Beach Bistro, a Vietnamese restaurant in [[Venice, Los Angeles]] in 2002. After 10 years at that location, Hiep closed China Beach and opened Le Cellier, a French-Vietnamese [[fusion restaurant]] on the Venice and [[Marina del Rey, California|Marina del Rey]] border in 2012. "Although it's not easy to find out here, French-Vietnamese food dates back to the 18th century ... This unique [[cuisine]] combines the fresh [[herbs]] of [[Vietnamese food]] with the fine heritage of country [[French cooking]]", Le said. As of 2016, she owned the restaurant Le Cellier with Mark Van Gessel and Bernard Louberssac.<ref name=restaurant/>
After her career in the film industry, Le opened up The China Beach Bistro, a Vietnamese restaurant in [[Venice, Los Angeles]] in 2002. After 10 years at that location, Hiep closed China Beach and opened Le Cellier, a French-Vietnamese [[fusion restaurant]] on the Venice and [[Marina del Rey, California|Marina del Rey]] border in 2012. "Although it's not easy to find out here, French-Vietnamese food dates back to the 18th century ... This unique [[cuisine]] combines the fresh [[herbs]] of [[Vietnamese food]] with the fine heritage of country [[French cooking]]", Le said. As of 2016, she owned the restaurant Le Cellier with Mark Van Gessel and Bernard Louberssac.<ref name=restaurant/>


On February 23, 2014, Le appeared on the [[Food Network]] game show ''[[Chopped (TV series)|Chopped]]'', competing in the eighteenth-season episode "Beer Here!" Although she survived the appetizer round, she was eliminated in the entree round.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://realgossiptv.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/chopped-beer-here-recap-22314.html|title=Real Gossip TV: Chopped "Beer Here" Recap (2/23/14)|first=Kat|last=B|date=February 23, 2014|website=realgossiptv.blogspot.com.au}}</ref>
On February 23, 2014, Le appeared on the [[Food Network]] game show ''[[Chopped (TV series)|Chopped]]'', competing in the eighteenth-season episode "Beer Here!" Although she survived the appetizer round, she was eliminated in the entree round.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://realgossiptv.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/chopped-beer-here-recap-22314.html|title=Real Gossip TV: Chopped "Beer Here" Recap (2/23/14)|first=Kat|last=B|date=February 23, 2014|website=realgossiptv.blogspot.com.au}}</ref>
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|2010|| ''[[Sympathy for Delicious]]'' || Female Volunteer ||
|2010|| ''[[Sympathy for Delicious]]'' || Female Volunteer ||
|-
|-
|2011|| ''Touch'' || Mother ||
|2011|| ''Touch'' || Mother || Final role
|}
|}


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[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:Deaths from stomach cancer]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in California]]
[[Category:21st-century American actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:21st-century American businesswomen]]
[[Category:Actresses from Oakland, California]]
[[Category:Actresses of Vietnamese descent]]
[[Category:Actresses of Vietnamese descent]]
[[Category:University of California, Davis alumni]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American restaurateurs]]
[[Category:American women restaurateurs]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Oakland, California]]
⚫
[[Category:Businesspeople of Vietnamese descent]]
[[Category:Deaths from stomach cancer in California]]
[[Category:People from Da Nang]]
[[Category:People from Da Nang]]
[[Category:University of California, Davis alumni]]
[[Category:Vietnamese emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Vietnamese emigrants to the United States]]
⚫
[[Category:Vietnamese refugees]]

Latest revision as of 08:03, 21 October 2024

Hiep Thi Le
Born(1971-02-18)February 18, 1971
Da Nang, Quảng Nam, South Vietnam
DiedDecember 19, 2017(2017-12-19) (aged 46)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Other namesHiep Le
Alma materUniversity of California, Davis
OccupationActress
Years active1993–2011

Hiep Thi Le (Vietnamese: Lê Thị Hiệp; February 18, 1971 – December 19, 2017) was an American actress. She is known for her portrayal of Le Ly in Oliver Stone's war drama film Heaven & Earth (1993).

Early life

[edit]

Le was born on February 18, 1971, in Da Nang, South Vietnam.[1][2] In 1978, her father became a refugee who defected from Vietnam to Hong Kong. When Le was nine years old, she fled Vietnam with her mother and sister.

We were told by my mom that we had to go look for Dad, and that he had gone to someplace called 'America', which we interpreted was the city across the river, since it had lights.[3]

Along with approximately 60 other refugees, hid in a secret compartment behind a galley pantry on a fishing boat sailing to Hong Kong to reunite with their father.

Sometime during the night, just as we arrived at a Vietnamese checkpoint, my sister woke up and started screaming for our momma ... Everyone thought we were going to die", she says. That night, a fishing boat captain grabbed her screaming 7-year-old sister and put a knife to her throat. Le witnessed it and it scarred her for life. "Tears rolled down her face, but there was no more crying ... I thought her eyes were going to fall out of their sockets", she says. Her sister survived, and when they both reached port, they stayed in a Hong Kong refugee camp. They eventually reunited with her father in Hong Kong. Le's entire family – her parents and five children – were eventually reunited in Northern California.[4][5]

Eventually, Le moved to Oakland, California as a child, where her mother worked at a French-Vietnamese restaurant.[6] She graduated from Oakland High School.[5] She attended the University of California, Davis with a major in physiology.[5][7]

Le originally had plans to graduate in June 1993 and pursue a career in science.[4] As a college student, she went to an open casting call in Northern California "because all my friends were doing it for fun" and ended up being cast in the leading role of Oliver Stone's third Vietnam film, Heaven & Earth (1993),[1] set amid the turmoil of the Vietnam War.

Acting career

[edit]

Heaven and Earth

[edit]

Le was one of 16,000 Vietnamese-Americans seen by casting scouts for Oliver Stone's Heaven & Earth and was finally chosen for the starring role (of Le Ly Hayslip). "I don't know how I got here ... My cousin heard about these auditions for a movie, and I just went with a friend to see what it was about. They kept calling me back." In the film, she plays a woman who ages from 13 to 38, who is raped and tortured in Vietnam and who becomes an abused housewife, mother, and businesswoman in the United States.[4]

According to Stone, "Our people saw her, put her on video, thought she was electric, and flew her down to Los Angeles. I thought she was charismatic. We worked with her, put her on video with other actors, introduced her to Tommy Lee Jones and Joan Chen and Haing S. Ngor, and then we put her on film. We tested her out for about five months, continuously, and she won the role. I didn't send her to any acting school. I didn't feel that it was necessary; she was a natural."[2]

Although the film required Le to age over 30 years and cast her opposite a number of accomplished American and Asian actors, the untrained actress received excellent reviews citing her sensitivity and actorly grace as Hayslip.[1] In his review of the film, Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan described her as "nonprofessional but very capable."[8]

When Le was asked what she had learned from her experience with the film: "I have grown a lot. I have grown so much in the past two years, but the experiences that I went through throughout my whole life really made me what I am today."[9]

Later career

[edit]

Le subsequently appeared in Bugis Street (1995, released in the United States in 1997)[5][10][11] and co-starred in the little-seen Dead Man Can't Dance (1997).[1] Le made an appearance in the 1999 film Bastards.[12]

She appeared in Green Dragon in 2001, opposite Patrick Swayze and Forest Whitaker.[13][14][15]

Restaurateur

[edit]

After her career in the film industry, Le opened up The China Beach Bistro, a Vietnamese restaurant in Venice, Los Angeles in 2002. After 10 years at that location, Hiep closed China Beach and opened Le Cellier, a French-Vietnamese fusion restaurant on the Venice and Marina del Rey border in 2012. "Although it's not easy to find out here, French-Vietnamese food dates back to the 18th century ... This unique cuisine combines the fresh herbs of Vietnamese food with the fine heritage of country French cooking", Le said. As of 2016, she owned the restaurant Le Cellier with Mark Van Gessel and Bernard Louberssac.[6]

On February 23, 2014, Le appeared on the Food Network game show Chopped, competing in the eighteenth-season episode "Beer Here!" Although she survived the appetizer round, she was eliminated in the entree round.[16]

Death

[edit]

Le died on December 19, 2017, in Los Angeles from stomach cancer at the age of 46.[3][17] She was acknowledged in the In Memoriam segment at the 90th Academy Awards.

Filmography

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1993 Heaven & Earth Le Ly
1995 Bugis Street Lian
1996 Hey Arnold! Mai Hyunh Voice, Episode: "Arnold's Christmas"
1997 Dead Men Can't Dance Sgt. Mia Yan Chun
1998 Tracey Takes On... Milou Episode: "Marriage"
1999 Cruel Intentions Mai-Lee
1999 Bastards Tony's Mother
1999 Shark in a Bottle The Tutor
2001 Green Dragon Thuy Hoa
2001 Return to Pontianak Charity Yamaguchi
2003 National Security McDuff's Secretary
2007 The Princess of Nebraska Mother at Mall
2008 Julia Kitty
2008 Lakeview Terrace Nurse
2010 Sympathy for Delicious Female Volunteer
2011 Touch Mother Final role

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Hiep Le Obituary – Peek Funeral Home – Westminster CA". obits.dignitymemorial.com.
  2. ^ a b Ebert, Roger (December 26, 1993). "OLIVER STONE CONCLUDES HIS VIETNAM TRILOGY". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  3. ^ a b Genzlinger, Neil (December 23, 2017). "Hiep Thi Le, Vietnamese Refugee Who Became Film Star, Dies at 46". New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  4. ^ a b c Mathews, Jack (January 17, 1993). "One Among Thousands : First-time actress Hiep Thi Le, who beat out 16,000 hopefuls for the lead in 'Heaven and Earth', draws lessons from her fellow refugees". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d Stack, Peter (October 25, 1997). "Looking for a Laugh/"Bugis Street's Le stumbled into acting and really wants to do comedy"". San Francisco Gate. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  6. ^ a b Chavez, Paul (June 29, 2012). "Venice Restaurateurs' Gastropub Pairs Filet Mignon with Jazz". Patch Media. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  7. ^ Ehrman, Mark (December 20, 1993). "'Heaven' Packs 'Em In". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  8. ^ Turan, Kenneth (December 25, 1993). "MOVIE REVIEW: Stone's 'Earth': Larger Than Life". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  9. ^ Whaley, Donald M.; Welsh, James Michael (2013). The Oliver Stone Encyclopedia. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780810883529.
  10. ^ Stack, Peter (May 21, 1997). "Gay Film Festival Mixes It All Up/Tickets on sale Friday for expanded series". San Francisco Gate. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  11. ^ "NEW MOVIES Opening This Week". San Francisco Gate. October 20, 1997. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  12. ^ Johnson, G. Allen (July 23, 1999). "Asian American film fest: Yes, no". San Francisco Gate. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  13. ^ Thomas, Kevin (May 1, 2002). "A Look Back at a Time of Beginnings". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  14. ^ Curiel, Jonathan (July 5, 2002). "Longing for freedom/'Green Dragon' shows lives of Vietnamese refugees in U.S." San Francisco Gate. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  15. ^ Meyer, Carla (March 3, 2002). "New look of Asian American films/Festival opens with edgy 'Better Luck Tomorrow', honors 'Chan Is Missing'". San Francisco Gate. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  16. ^ B, Kat (February 23, 2014). "Real Gossip TV: Chopped "Beer Here" Recap (2/23/14)". realgossiptv.blogspot.com.au.
  17. ^ Hiep Thi Le Dies: Star Of Oliver Stone's 'Heaven And Earth' Was 46, deadline.com; accessed December 20, 2017.
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