Vietnamese actor Don Duong dies

Don Duong, a Vietnamese actor who felt compelled to depart the nation following the military newspaper labeled him a traitor to take roles in American films, died Thursday, 12 ,. 8, of heart failure along with a brain hemorrhage in Bay Area. He was 55.After Duong made an appearance with Patrick Swayze in Timothy Linh Bui's 2001 drama "Eco-friendly Dragon," about Vietnamese refugees within the U.S., as well as in the 2002 Mel Gibson vehicle "I Was Soldiers," a Vietnam war epic showing the very first major fight including American forces and shot entirely within the U.S., the actor came the scorn from the military, official media along with other stars in Vietnam.The Quan Doi Nhan Serta (Individuals Military) daily newspaper known as Duong's actions "unforgivable" and stated the "conscience-seller and traitor should be strictly disciplined," while film director Duong Minh Dau stated the actor had insulted Vietnam by "turning his back on his country and the people," based on the BBC.The handsome Duong had many female fans in the united states, but he nonetheless departed in 2003 for that U.S., where he subsequently grew to become a citizen. Vietnamese government bodies refused him a visa for any return visit permission was granted this season, but he was not able to create the trip before he died.Duong made an appearance in director Tony Bui's "Three Seasons" in 1999. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com