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A photo of Johnny Tri Nguyen in “The Continental: From the World of John Wick” |
Johhny kept the role a secret before audiences saw it in the series’ second episode, which aired on September 29. His character named Khang is the master of an assassin named Yen, played by Nhung Kate.
Khang appeared at the beginning of the episode, speaking Vietnamese to Yen and encouraging her to go on a mission for justice.
Nhung said that she and Johnny went to Budapest, Hungary to film the series in late 2021. Thanks to her boyfriend’s support, Nhung was not under pressure when performing in action sequences. Johnny helped Nhung improve his English and martial arts skills.
“The Continental: From the World of John Wick” marks Johnny’s return to international cinema, following Spike Lee’s 2020 war drama “Da 5 Bloods,” in which he was played by another Vietnamese actress, Ngo Thanh Van .
Johnny said he hadn’t acted in Vietnamese films in years and had only recently had minor roles in a few Hollywood projects.
“I didn’t return to the big screen because I was busy running my dojo and I also needed time to adapt after two years of the pandemic,” he said.
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Johnny Tri Nguyen in Budapest, Hungary filming “The Continental: From the World of John Wick” in late 2021. Photo courtesy of Johnny Tri Nguyen |
“The Continental: From the World of John Wick” is set 40 years before the events of John Wick – the main character in the hit action franchise starring Keanu Reeves. The series focuses on the past of Winston Scott (played by Colin Woodell), who runs The Continental, a hotel and haven for criminals and assassins in New York.
The cast also includes other famous actors like Mel Gibson, Hubert Point-Du Jour, Jessica Allain and Mishel Prada.
Johnny Tri Nguyen, 49, was born in Vietnam. He moved to the United States with his family when he was eight years old. After a period of work as a singer and stuntman, he returned to Vietnam and began a career as an actor. Johnny rose to fame with films like “Dong Mau Anh Hung” (The Rebel), “Nu Hon Thanh Chet” (The Kiss of Death) and “Bay Rong” (Clash).
In 2016, he took a break and focused on martial arts training and meditation.
After “The Continental: From the World of John Wick”, another John Wick spin-off titled “Ballerina” and starring Ana de Armas is expected to hit theaters in June next year.