In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 22 March 1940
- Died
- 25 February 1996
- Birthplace
- Samrong Yong, Takéo Province, Cambodia
- Country
- Cambodia
- Nationality
- Cambodian
- Known for
- Winning an Academy Award for portraying Dith Pran in The Killing Fields
- Profession before 1975
- Physician
- Film debut
- The Killing Fields, 1984
- Academy Award
- Best Supporting Actor, 1985
- Memoir
- Haing Ngor: A Cambodian Odyssey
Why this life matters
Haing S. Ngor transformed lived experience into one of cinema’s most recognised performances about Cambodia, then used that platform for refugee and humanitarian work.
Timeline
Key moments
Survived Democratic Kampuchea
Concealed his medical training while enduring forced labour, imprisonment and profound family loss.
Resettled in the United States
Arrived as a refugee after working in a medical role in Thailand.
The Killing Fields and an Oscar
Portrayed Dith Pran without prior acting experience and won Best Supporting Actor.
Published his memoir
Recorded his life and survival in Haing Ngor: A Cambodian Odyssey.
Killed in Los Angeles
Was shot outside his home; three gang members were later convicted in the case.
A doctor forced to hide his knowledge
Haing S. Ngor trained as a physician and worked in Phnom Penh before the Khmer Rouge took the city in April 1975. Because educated professionals were in danger, he concealed his training while surviving forced labour and imprisonment.
His wife died in childbirth during the regime, a loss Ngor later described as inseparable from the terror of revealing that he was a doctor. After Democratic Kampuchea fell, he reached Thailand and resettled in the United States in 1980.
An unprecedented film performance
Ngor had no professional acting experience when he was cast as journalist Dith Pran in The Killing Fields. His performance drew directly on the physical and emotional knowledge of survival and won the 1985 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
He continued acting, published a memoir and supported Cambodian humanitarian causes. His 1996 murder in Los Angeles ended that work abruptly, but his film, testimony and philanthropy remain part of how global audiences learned about Cambodia’s genocide.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Haing S. Ngor
- Who was Haing S. Ngor?
- Haing S. Ngor was a physician, actor and genocide survivor. Haing S. Ngor transformed lived experience into one of cinema’s most recognised performances about Cambodia, then used that platform for refugee and humanitarian work.
- What is Haing S. Ngor best known for?
- Haing S. Ngor is best known for winning an Academy Award for portraying Dith Pran in The Killing Fields.
- When and where was Haing S. Ngor born?
- Haing S. Ngor was born on 22 March 1940 in Samrong Yong, Takéo Province, Cambodia.
- When did Haing S. Ngor die?
- Haing S. Ngor died on 25 February 1996.
Sources and further reading
How this biography was checked
Core dates and offices are checked against the sources below. This profile was last reviewed on 9 September 2026.
