The Sympathizer
Summary
The Vietnam War is being told through a unequaled new lens withThe Sympathizer . base on Viet Thanh Nguyen ’s Pulitzer Prize - winning novel of the same name , the HBO thriller is set near the end of the Vietnam War , keep up a chemical group of refugee as they escape from the country and channelize to America to ramp up Modern lives . Amid the refugees is the Captain , a spy for North Vietnam who had been do work undercover in the South Vietnam army and go along his mission while on the other side of the humanity .
join the Captain is Bon , one of his two childhood booster who worked for the South Vietnam army without any noesis of his dual allegiance . Upon their arrival in America , Bon struggle with a mysterious depression due to losing those closest to him during his escape from Vietnam . As the Captain continues his delegation in America , he also strives to discover a manner to help his good admirer and give him a new purpose in life .
The new A24 & HBO miniseries The Sympathizer begins months before the Fall of Saigon during the Vietnam War and introduces its mole admirer .
Hoa Xuande leadsthe ensembleSympathizercastas the Captain alongside Robert Downey Jr. in a four - character role , Sandra Oh , Toan Le , Fred Nguyen Khan , Duy Nguyễn , Vy Le , Ky Duyen , Phanxinê , Kieu Chinh , VyVy Nguyen and Alan Trong . Don McKellar and Park Chan - wook service as the creators of the HBO thriller adaptation , with the latter also directing the first three episodes of the show , whileSugar ’s Fernando Meireilles andThe Third Day ’s Marc Munden helming the eternal sleep .
In expectancy of the show ’s premiere , Screen Rantparticipated in a roundtable consultation with champion Fred Nguyen Khan & Duy Nguyễn to discussThe Sympathizer . The duo reflect on their existent - life friendship and how it translated to their work as booster within the HBO thriller , as well as their characters ' journey , have a supportive form and work party , and the importance of Vietnamese theatrical on screen .
Nguyen Khan & Nguyễn Are ThrilledThe SympathizerWill Present Vietnamese Culture To More Audiences
One of the most authoritative elements ofThe Sympathizeris that the dramatis personae is mainly made up of Vietnamese actor playing character reference of the same part , with much of their dialogue also being in their native tongue . For Nguyễn and Nguyen Khan , the chance to take part in the show was very special , particularly as the latter grow up in Canada and the former moved there 10 years ago , where very little Vietnamese media exists :
Duy Nguyễn : Well , I grew up in Hanoi , Vietnam , I moved to Ottawa and then Montreal , I moved to Ottawa like 10 year ago . So , I remember when I was a kid , I would be in the theater , scream , alternate up and down every meter I ’d hear a Vietnamese word being spoken on filmdom . But no , I ’m in an American show , and now I get to do it myself , and 50 % of the show is in Vietnamese , I just ca n’t aid but finger so excited . And get a line it on place all the time , and then to listen it now on the blind with the music and good mixture . It ’s so larger-than-life , it ’s so cinematic . And I really do hope we have more hazard to do this .
Fred Nguyen Khan : For me , I was carry in Montreal , Canada . The only Vietnamese media that I was exposed to were variety shows , stuff like that . So , I never felt like , as an worker , that the Vietnamese language can be used in film or TV shows until I hail to the solidification . And I met all these amazing actors and their performances are so grounded . And Vietnamese speak and playacting is so different . But when you hear it , and it sounds so cinematic , it ’s really good . I think it ’s a proficient step in the veracious direction , for certain .
Custom image by Simone Ashmoore
This pride for the show ’s representation even extended to the duette ’s efforts to be part of its cast , with Nguyen Khan recalling he " would have been so sad " if he did n’t get to be part of the show , while Nguyễn only learned about its macrocosm thanks to his real - life ally :
Fred Nguyen Khan : Man , I would have been so sorry if I was not part of this . [ Laughs ] As a Vietnamese actor , like , " But , but , but , but … "
Duy Nguyễn : I call back I felt that when I come across the cast call the first time . Fred showed me , Fred really called me up one day and was like , " Oh , can you register for me for this audition ? I need a Vietnamese actor . " I ’m like , " You need a Vietnamese actor ? To address Vietnamese ? On a show ? What show is this ? What is this ? How can I get it ? "
Based on the novel by Viet Thanh Nuyen, The Sympathizer explores the last days of the Vietnam War through the eyes of a half-Vietnamese, half-French spy serving for the communist regime. The TV series adaptation is set-up as a mini-series and will likely still be framed as a confession from the protagonist as they make their way through the war. Photo is of the original novel cover.
Fred Nguyen Khan : " Do n’t worry about it . " [ Laughs ]
Duy Nguyễn : Just to speak to how rarefied this is , just to be able-bodied to speak Vietnamese on such a swelled stage . Now meg of the great unwashed can be exposed to the speech , the culture .
Fred Nguyen Khan : This is our first meter acting in Vietnamese .
Duy Nguyễn : That ’s a destiny of scholarship .
Fred Nguyen Khan : The excitement of getting to act in Vietnamese is one thing , but with it make out the challenge of , " Oh , we have to do this . How are we break down to do this ? Somebody serve me , please . "
Duy Nguyễn : Yeah , I had to learn a whole new dialect .
Fred Nguyen Khan : We were so well surrounded , we were in the best of hands . So , it felt like a very good quad for us to just try things . And even if we give out , we can try again . The whole ensemble hurl was amazing . I love each and every one of them . I would take a bullet for them . Eh , some of them , I would take a bullet for some of them . Not all of them , but some of them . [ Chuckles ]
Doing Research For The Show Was Like “Time Travel” For Nguyễn & Nguyen Khan
With the show being do in the former 1970s , The Sympathizer ’s period nature required some research for Nguyễn and Nguyen Khan to properly immerse themselves in the epoch , specially given the former was " acquit decades after the War " and had " very limited cognition " of it . The distich at last found doing their research to be an " huge " and " phantasmagorical " experience that mostly match to time traveling :
Fred Nguyen Khan : For me personally , I used to do a form of street dance call pop , which was uprise in the ' 70s . So , I had to really learn a lot about the music from that era , and there was a sight of listen to music in monastic order to get into the energy of the characters . And my sept went through the boats and the refugee camps , so hold things from my uncles , and from my father that I think could be useful for this narrative was very helpful for me . That really was my research , is really asking my family , speaking to my uncle , my father , listening to the medicine of that era , just learn movies from the ' 70s , it was such a sport experience to be wall by all this fourth dimension traveling energy . [ Chuckles ]
Duy Nguyễn : [ Chuckles ] It was like fourth dimension travel , yeah . For me , I grew up in Vietnam , I was bear ten after the War , so I really had no — live in Vietnam , it was very limited knowledge of what it was like back then . And then , I read the account book , and then I produce to be one of the case in the show , which is still to this 24-hour interval , who would ’ve thought .
The research was huge . I would lock myself in in the room throughout the output . Every time I ’m not shooting , I would either be on set watching Fred do his stuff , or in the elbow room see documentaries , reading articles , moving-picture show , and also diaries of the people who survived the warfare . And I study the book , I think , 20 - 30 multiplication by this point .
Fred Nguyen Khan : That ’s a lot of times . It ’s a pretty magnanimous Good Book , too . [ Chuckles ]
One of the most helpful resources the acting couple had for find into their roles was the music from the epoch . For Nguyễn , he really pull out from the world of the show by heed to the records the Captain gave his persona , while Nguyen Khan built a specific playlist he felt his reference Bon would mind to :
Fred Nguyen Khan : I in reality have a Spotify play list that articulate " Bon ’s Record Collection . " And it ’s music that he would be listening to , even though he does n’t really collect music , but that ’s something that he would be listening to . So , I have two playlist , that one and another one where it ’s just to get into character if I needed to do something very forcible . But the " Bon ’s Record Collection " one is more accurate to the era , because that ’s his fiber , what he would be listening to .
There ’s a lot of French music from Paris during that time , my parents would listen to a mountain of Paris medicine . And my dad was a musician , actually , in a striation in Vietnam , and he would listen to a lot of Motown euphony , and a passel of funk . So , I depict a lot of inspiration from those things . And to reply your question , it ’s really hard to pick one song out of all of that . I think it would credibly be Little Richard . I might change my mind afterwards , but Little Richard , " Long Tall Sally . " That , I think , would be something that Bon would listen to as he ’s running around . [ Chuckles ]
Duy Nguyễn : Yeah , I do n’t have intercourse how many episodes you ’ve seen , it was mentioned in the in the first episode that the Captain leaves his collection of record to Man , and I in reality listened to that nonstop , just to get into the character . And also , there ’s some Sung in the show that I find out when I was a kid , Vietnamese songs , and now to hear it on the screen , on such a scale , is so epic .
The Duo Were So Focused On Nailing Their Characters They Didn’t Reflect On The Show’s Deeper Themes
As the show take a very satirical approach path to Hollywood ’s perception of Asiatic and Vietnamese people , The Sympathizerraises important question about the industriousness ’s treatment of people of colouration and their acculturation . While Nguyễn and Nguyen Khan get it " a grace " to be able to tell the story of the show , they were in the end so focused on nailing their characters that they did n’t have sentence to reflect on some of these themes :
Fred Nguyen Khan : Well , I never felt like when I was working on this show that I had to even think about clobber like that . I was just so focused on distinguish the fib of Bon . It ’s such a complex and nuanced character that I had the greatest of fulfilment as an actor to impersonate this character . I know in Canada , there ’s not a heap of characters being write that are Asian , let alone Vietnamese . A lot of the fourth dimension , the film maker themselves are not from our cultivation , so they do n’t make love how to write a character like that . They just compose a character , and we get to trifle them if we ’re prosperous , but for something like this , it ’s just such a blessing to be able to tell our story , basically .
Duy Nguyễn : Yeah , we did n’t really focalize too much about that during the shoot , because that ’s the thing that ’s the brainiac part about The Sympathizer is that it ’s very subtle . It ’s not subtle at all , but very subtle at the same time . [ Chuckles ] It never hits you in the head with the content , " Oh , this is what we need to say , this is what we ’re gon na say , no , no , this is what happen with this character . " you could draw your own conclusion to real life if you want to , and it ’s often hilarious , often very shady , and derisory .
Fred Nguyen Khan : It feel great to just be amongst other Vietnamese worker . It felt like a family unit reunification with your favorite first cousin . It ’s unheard of for us to be surrounded by so many hoi polloi . Same speech , same civilization , so it was great for us .
When take care at how the show could vibrate with advanced viewers , and any parallels they see between the report and the current class , the duo particularly pointed to their characters ' friendship as the best thing for audiences to take away from it . deliberate the group find themselves on " completely opposite political spectrums " , the stars hope that those in similar positions today recognize the humanity in others runs deeper than their political beliefs :
Duy Nguyễn : Yeah , the show is so complex , just like the book . There ’s so many weave radical and issue . There ’s a lot to talk about , but underneath all of it , it ’s very apparent it ’s the love life of the blood brother who are on a completely opposite political spectrums . But , somehow , they still love each other profoundly , they somehow still recognize each other as human race . " We ’re just world , and this is the circumstance , and we do n’t have to countenance the circumstance determine how we care for another human being . "
And then you have the persona who share the same political political orientation in the show that do n’t care each other , that contemn each other , so I go for that message will vibrate with the audience nowadays , so that we can start thinking about peradventure treat each other like human being instead of where you brook on the political spectrum .
Fred Nguyen Khan : Yeah , there ’s a lot of empathy from these characters and from this cast , as well .
Duy Nguyễn : And it ’s also a different side of war . There are story about war that we ’ve never heard about , so get talk , start asking what ’s really happening .
Nguyễn & Nguyen Khan’s Off-Screen Bonding Started Well BeforeThe Sympathizer
With the Captain , Bon and Nguyễn ’s Man being central pillar to the show ’s overall story in their friendly relationship , referring to themselves as both The Three Musketeers and blood brothers after making a blood pact as kids , building an off - screen friendship would have been an significant task for the actor behind the theatrical role . For Nguyễn and Nguyen Khan , however , this cognitive process start well before filming got roll onThe Sympathizer :
Fred Nguyen Khan : Well , a lot of people might not have sex this , but Duy and I have been close friends a long clock time , before we even got rent on the show . He was my reader for my first audition , and I was his reader . So , that part of the friendly relationship was all right , we did n’t take to work out on that . Meeting Hoa , on the other handwriting . [ Laughs ] Actually , it was quite easy , because all jokes aside , when I first started shooting , the first two weeks or so , it was only the Captain and Bon , we were just doing prospect with the two of us alone .
So , it was just us bonding over the scale of this yield , and how thankful we are to be part of this story . And we were very supportive of our lines , running lines , with our Vietnamese spoken language , and just making sure that we did the good that we could , whatever circumstance that were thrown at us .
Duy Nguyễn : Yeah , I think all of us , really , while shooting it , we knew how special this show is for us . Also for billion of people who are live to be watching . So , straightaway from the start , from the time I stepped foot on the set , all I saw was love . We always had each other ’s backs , and I foregather Hoa for the first sentence — I joined really tardily , I unite like two month after they already start inject , they already started stick . [ Chuckles ]
And then I joined , and for the first two day of shooting , I was alone . If you watch the show — spoiler — I was alone with the photographic camera . And then on the spur of the moment , after the 2nd day , the third day , Hoa get on and I was like , " You are my well friend now . I ’m so banal of play with the television camera . keep me ! " [ Laughs ] And then we just bond immediately .
Despite being Quaker in real life , though , cast director Jennifer Venditti had no thought of Nguyễn and Nguyen Khan ’s prior knowledge of each other , with the duet proceed on to praise their being vagabond as a will to make out the possible bond they could form on - screen :
Fred Nguyen Khan : To answer the first dubiousness , they had no idea . They did n’t eff at all . I did n’t really tell them to disgorge my friend , that ’s not a good thing to do . But it just worked out in the dear of ways somehow . A plenty of domino had to fall for this to go out , and to for both of us to be there . So , somehow , this is the prime alternative universe where everything solve out .
Duy Nguyễn : Also , that speak admiration to the casting director , Jennifer Venditti . Somehow , she just sensed that there ’s something between me and Fred to be like , " Oh , that guy might work with that guy . " So yeah , it ’s really virginal co-occurrence that we got throw up playing , because I try out for so many other characters , and I heard nothing back , and I was like , " I ’m ready to just be a dead body , so I can be part of this world - changing show . " [ Chuckles ] But , somehow , I get to be here with Fred
FilmingThe SympathizerOut Of Chronological Order Was Challenging For Nguyễn & Nguyen Khan
With its multiple - continent - spanning story and spring back and forward between time , The Sympathizerultimately found its shot schedule to take a non - chronological attack to filming , snap the Vietnam - congeal sequences near the end while the American - based majority was at the start . For Nguyễn and Nguyen Khan , this in the end proved a singular challenge as they processed the evolution of their character reference :
Fred Nguyen Khan : I think one of the challenging thing about shoot this show is that we shot a lot of thing out of society . I reckon we started with episode 2 , and then hold up to 3 , and then it was 5 , 6 , 4 , and then 1 , 7 . So , it was all over the situation . But the more that we bonded as a cast , the more that our case were able-bodied to draw from those experiences . I suppose , for me , it was just being able to hope the casting to give you what you need , and having the directors secern you exactly what you take . I think it ’s very organic in that way .
Duy Nguyễn : It is really an ensemble piece . Even though my character only appears alone , behind that photographic camera is all the cast . They ’re just there for you always , every solar day . And I drew a lot of that to my performance , because I get it on how , even though if the daytime get hard , there ’s always somebody to speak to , somebody to hug , and we all love how meaningful this story is for us , and for millions of people who are going to be watching . So yeah , we all just wanted to make the skillful thing that could ever be .
AboutThe Sympathizer
Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen ’s Pulitzer Prize - winning novel of the same name , THE SYMPATHIZER is an espionage thriller and ill-tempered - culture caustic remark about the struggles of a half - French , half - Vietnamese communistic undercover agent during the final twenty-four hours of the Vietnam War and his raw life as a refugee in Los Angeles , where he learns that his spying Clarence Day are n’t over .
chink out our otherSympathizerinterviews with :
raw episodes of The Sympathizer air Sundays on HBO and Max .
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Based on the novel by Viet Thanh Nuyen , The Sympathizer explores the last days of the Vietnam War through the eyes of a half - Vietnamese , half - Gallic spy dish out for the communist regimen . The TV series adaption is set - up as a mini - series and will belike still be framed as a confession from the protagonist as they make their way through the state of war . Photo is of the original novel cover .
