Biography

Herself a victim of child abuse, Nuyen earned her Master's degree in clinical psychology (1986), and since then has made the transition to a second career in family practice counseling, working mostly with abused children, abused and battered women, and women in prison.

Born to a French mother and Vietnamese father (French is her first language) and raised in Marseilles by a cousin, she claims her mother and grandfather were persecuted by the Germans during World War II for being gypsies.

Received the "Woman of the Year" award in Los Angeles, California, for her work as a consulting psychologist in treating abused children and convicted women.

She was possibly the first person of Vietnamese descent to appear on American television.

Got her role in the film South Pacific (1958) when model/agent Candy Jones took her to see director Joshua Logan, who was casting for the film. While the film was being made, Logan began talking to Nuyen about his next project, The World of Suzie Wong (1960), in which she would appear.