Anh Do (born 2 June 1977) is a
Vietnamese-born Australian author, actor, comedian, and painter.
He has appeared on Australian TV shows such as ''
Thank God You're Here
''Thank God You're Here'' is an Australian television improvised comedy program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on Network Ten on 5 April 2006, and aired for the first three seasons and on Seven for the fourth season.
Each ...
'' and ''
Good News Week
''Good News Week'' is an Australian satirical panel game show hosted by Paul McDermott that aired from 19 April 1996 to 27 May 2000, and 11 February 2008 to 28 April 2012. The show's initial run aired on ABC until being bought by Network Ten in ...
'', and was runner-up on ''
Dancing with the Stars
''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...
'' in 2007. He studied a combined Business Law degree at the
University of Technology, Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is a public research university located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Although its origins are said to trace back to the 1830s, the university was founded in its current form in 1988. As of 2021 ...
. He is the brother of film director
Khoa Do
Khoa Do (Vietnamese: ''Đỗ Khoa'', ), is a film director, screenwriter, and philanthropist. He received the Young Australian of the Year Award in 2005.
Early life and family
The Do family left Vietnam in 1980 as Vietnamese refugees, fleeing S ...
and has acted in several of Khoa's films, including ''
Footy Legends
''Footy Legends'' is a 2006 Australian film, directed and co-written by Khoa Do, produced by Megan McMurchy, starring Khoa's older brother and co-writer Anh Do, Angus Sampson, Emma Lung and Claudia Karvan. It was filmed in and around the Sydne ...
'', which he co-wrote and produced. In 2012, his TV show ''Anh Does Vietnam'' began airing. He has been four times a finalist in the
Archibald Prize
The Archibald Prize is an Australian portraiture art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after the receipt of a bequest from J. F. Archibald, J. F. Archib ...
and won the 2017 People's Choice Award.
Since 2016, Do has hosted ''
Anh's Brush with Fame'' on ABC TV in which he concurrently interviews and paints a portrait of prominent Australians.
Biography
Refugee
Anh Do and his family fled to Australia as refugees in 1980.
In his 2010 autobiography, ''The Happiest Refugee'', Do tells of how his family survived five days in a leaky fishing boat nine and a half metres long and two metres wide. During the trip his family and the rest of the passengers were attacked by two different bands of pirates. The first group stole one of the two engines and the second group of pirates stole the second engine, which had been broken but repaired by Do's father using a piece of rubber from a
thong. It was reported that as the second band of pirates left, one of them threw a gallon of water onboard which kept all but one of the refugees alive, until they were finally rescued by a German merchant ship.
The boat was packed with 40
Vietnamese refugees
Vietnamese boat people ( vi, Thuyền nhân Việt Nam), also known simply as boat people, refers to the refugees who fled Vietnam by boat and ship following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. This migration and humanitarian crisis was at its h ...
fleeing across the Indian Ocean. "We were crammed in like sardines," he said.
''The Happiest Refugee'' has won awards, including the 2011 Australian Book of the Year, Biography of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, as well as the Indie Book of the Year Award 2011, Non-fiction Indie Book of the Year 2011, and it was shortlisted for the 2011
NSW Premier's Literary Awards
The New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, also known as the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, were first awarded in 1979. They are among the richest literary awards in Australia. Notable prizes include the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, th ...
,
Community Relations Commission Award.
Career
![Anh Do walking the red carpet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Anh_Do_walking_the_red_carpet.jpg)
Do attended
St Aloysius' College in Milsons Point for his secondary education. When he was 14 he started a small business breeding tropical fish. While studying his first year of law at the
University of Technology, Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is a public research university located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Although its origins are said to trace back to the 1830s, the university was founded in its current form in 1988. As of 2021 ...
, he owned a stall which sold American Indian artifacts, which he later expanded to four franchised stores. Six months before finishing his combined Business Law degree, law firms offered him jobs which required 60 hours of work a week. He opted to take up stand-up comedy instead.
Since 2013 Do has cut back on comedy to focus on painting full-time. He was a finalist in the
Archibald Prize
The Archibald Prize is an Australian portraiture art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after the receipt of a bequest from J. F. Archibald, J. F. Archib ...
in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
,
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
and
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
.
Since 2016, Do has hosted ''
Anh's Brush with Fame'' on ABC-TV, with the fourth season airing from April to July 2019.
In this popular program, Anh Do concurrently interviews and paints a portrait of prominent Australians.
Personal life
Do is married to Suzanne (Suzie) Do and they have three sons and a daughter. His mother, Hien, played the role of
Van Nguyen's mother, Kim, in ''
Better Man'', a film which was produced by
Khoa Do
Khoa Do (Vietnamese: ''Đỗ Khoa'', ), is a film director, screenwriter, and philanthropist. He received the Young Australian of the Year Award in 2005.
Early life and family
The Do family left Vietnam in 1980 as Vietnamese refugees, fleeing S ...
.
Awards
* 2011 Independent Booksellers Book of the Year (for ''The Happiest Refugee'')
* 2011 Joint winner (with musician
Paul Kelly) of the Biography of the Year (for ''The Happiest Refugee'')
* 2011 Best Newcomer (for ''The Happiest Refugee'')
* 2011 Book of the Year (for ''The Happiest Refugee'')
* 2017 People's Choice Award,
Archibald Prize
The Archibald Prize is an Australian portraiture art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after the receipt of a bequest from J. F. Archibald, J. F. Archib ...
(for portrait of
Jack Charles)
Mo Awards
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the
Mo Awards
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, that where established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were l ...
), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Anh Do won one award in that time.
(wins only)
, -
, 2012
, Anh Do
, Rodney Rude Stand Up Comedian of the Year
,
, -
Acting filmography
* ''
Double the Fist
''Double the Fist'' is an Australian satire, satirical television show which airs on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It follows the misadventures of four men and their pursuit of "fistworthiness": Television presenter, host Steve Foxx (C ...
'' (2008) as Krakbot
* ''
Crooked Business
''Crooked Business'' is a feature film by Chris Nyst, a criminal lawyer. It is a comedy of errors set in Australia's Gold Coast. It opened in Australia on 15 October 2008.
Plot
The movie stars small-time hustler Elmo, and his best friend 'Stand- ...
'' (2008) as Benny Wing
* ''
Kick
A kick is a physical Strike (attack), strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee (strike), ...
'' (2007) as Hoa Tran
* ''
Footy Legends
''Footy Legends'' is a 2006 Australian film, directed and co-written by Khoa Do, produced by Megan McMurchy, starring Khoa's older brother and co-writer Anh Do, Angus Sampson, Emma Lung and Claudia Karvan. It was filmed in and around the Sydne ...
'' (2006) as Luc Vu
* ''
Solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
'' (2006) as Nguyen
* ''
Pizza
Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, onions ...
'' as Chong Fat (2005–2007)
* ''
Blue Water High'' – (Episode: It's Hard to Be Normal) (2005) as Robbo
* ''
Little Fish'' (2005) as Tran
* ''
The Finished People'' (2003) as Factory Worker
* ''
All Saints'' (2003) (Episode: The Devil to Pay) as Tim Salter
* ''
Don't Blame Me'' (2002) as Vinnie
* ''
SeaChange
''SeaChange'' is an Australian television program that ran from 1998 to 2000 on the ABC and in 2019 on the Nine Network. It was created by Andrew Knight and Deborah Cox and starred Sigrid Thornton, David Wenham, William McInnes, John Howar ...
'' (2000) as Quan Tho
Filmography (as himself)
* ''
Anh's Brush with Fame'' (2016–2021) as host
* ''
Anh Does Brazil'' (2014) as host
* ''
Anh Does Iceland'' (2014) as host
* ''
Anh Does Scandinavia'' (2014) as host
* ''
Anh Does Britain'' (2013) as host
* ''
Anh Does Vietnam'', (2012) as host
* ''
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[Talkin ...](_blank)
'' (2010, Series 6 Episode 33) guest
* ''
Top Gear Australia
''Top Gear Australia'' was an Australian motoring reality television series, based on the British BBC series ''Top Gear''. The programme first premiered on SBS One on 29 September 2008. A second season was ordered following the high ratings for ...
'' (2009) as guest
* ''
The Squiz
''The Squiz'' was an Australian television game show, with the questions emphasising on sports. It aired on SBS One on Saturday nights at 8.30 pm. It made its debut on 23 May 2009 and was hosted by comedian Anh Do. However, the show was ca ...
'' (2009) as host
* ''Made in China'' (2008) as host
* ''
Short and Curly'' as host
* ''
Deal or No Deal
''Deal or No Deal'' is the name of several closely related television game shows, the first of which (launching the format) was the Dutch ''Miljoenenjacht (Netherlands), Miljoenenjacht'' (''Hunt/Chase for Millions''). The centerpiece of this f ...
'' Special (2007) as Contestant (Won maximum prize of $200,000)
* ''
Dancing with the Stars
''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...
'' (2007) as contestant
* ''
Thank God You're Here
''Thank God You're Here'' is an Australian television improvised comedy program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on Network Ten on 5 April 2006, and aired for the first three seasons and on Seven for the fourth season.
Each ...
'' (2006 & 2007) as contestant
* ''
The NRL Footy Show
''The Footy Show'' was an Australian sports variety television program covering professional rugby league in Australia. It was shown on the Nine Network and aired for 25 seasons. For the final season in 2018, the show was hosted by journalist Er ...
'', comedian
* ''
Matty Johns Show'' as himself in segment Anh Can Do
* ''
Pictures of You'', as guest
* ''
Long Lost Family'' as co-host
Books
* ''The Happiest Refugee'' (2010)
* ''The Little Refugee '' (with Bruce Whatley) (2011)
* ''WeirDo'' (2013)
* ''WeirDo #2 : Even Weirder!'' (2014)
* ''WeirDo #3 : Extra Weird'' (2014)
* ''WeirDo #4: Super Weird!'' (2015)
* ''WeirDo #5 : Totally Weird!'' (2015)
* ''WeirDo #6 : Crazy Weird!'' (2016)
* ''WeirDo #7 : Mega Weird!'' (2016)
* ''Hot Dog!'' (Hot Dog #1) (2016)
* ''What Do They do with all the Poo from all the Animals at the Zoo?'' (2016)
* ''WeirDo #8 : Really Weird!'' (2017)
* ''WeirDo #9 : Spooky Weird!'' (2017)
* ''Hot Dog! Party Time'' (Hotdog, #2) (2017)
* ''WeirDo #10 : Messy Weird!'' (2018)
* ''Ninja Kid'' (2018)
* ''WeirDo #11: Splashy Weird!'' (2018)
*''Rise of the Mythix : Golden Unicorn'' (2019)
* ''WeirDo #12: Hopping Weird!'' (2019)
* ''WeirDo #13: Weirdomania!'' (2019)
* ''WeirDo #14: Vote Weirdo'' (2020)
* ''Rise of the Mythix: Might Minotaur'' (2020)
* ''WeirDo #15: Planet Weird'' (2020)
* ''Rise of the Mythix: Flight of the Griffin'' (2021)
* ''WeirDo #16: Tasty Weird!'' (2021)
* ''Weirdo #17: Spinning Weird'' (2021)
* ''Rise of the Mythix: Legends Unite'' (2021)
* ''Weirdo #18: Weird History!'' (2022)
* ''Rise of the Mythix: The Last Gladiator'' (2022)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Do, Anh
1977 births
Living people
Male actors from Sydney
Vietnamese emigrants to Australia
Australian male film actors
Australian male comedians
Australian stand-up comedians
Australian male television actors
Australian television presenters
People educated at St Aloysius' College (Sydney)
University of Technology Sydney Law School alumni
Vietnamese refugees
Australian autobiographers
Australian jurists
Australian painters
21st-century Australian male actors