View source for Bee Vang

{{short description|American actor}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = {{ubl|Bee Vang<br />{{script|Hmng|𖬃𖬰𖬨𖬵 𖬖𖬰𖬜}}}}
| image              =  Bee Vang.jpg
| caption            = Vang in 2008
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1991|11|4}}
| birth_place        = [[Fresno, California]], U.S.
| occupation         = Actor
| yearsactive        = 2008–present
}}
'''Bee Vang''' ([[Romanized Popular Alphabet|RPA]]: ''Npis Vaj'', [[Pahawh Hmong|Pahawh]]: ''{{script|Hmng|𖬃𖬰𖬨𖬵 𖬖𖬰𖬜}}''; born November 4, 1991) is an American actor of [[Hmong people|Hmong]] Thai descent. He is best known for starring in [[Clint Eastwood]]'s 2008 film ''[[Gran Torino]]'' as [[Thao Vang Lor]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/02/gran-torino-bee-vang-asian-violence-anti-asian-racism-diversity-inclusion-representation-1234696602/|title='Gran Torino' Actor Bee Vang Addresses Surge Of Violence Against Asians And How Clint Eastwood's Film "Mainstreamed Anti-Asian Racism"|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |first1=Dino-Ray|last1=Ramos|date=February 18, 2021 |access-date=September 23, 2021}}</ref>
== Early life and education ==
Vang was born in [[Fresno, California]], four years after his [[Hmong people|Hmong]] parents emigrated from Thailand.<ref name="AP-Novice actor">{{cite news| url=https://www.today.com/popculture/clint-eastwood-makes-novice-teen-actors-day-wbna28696628| title=Clint Eastwood makes novice teen actor's day| publisher=Associated Press| last=Baenen |first= Jeff| date=January 16, 2009 | accessdate=May 18, 2009}}</ref> He has five brothers and one sister.<ref>"[http://hmongstudies.org/ScheinVangHSJ11.pdf ''Gran Torino''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Hmong Lead Bee Vang on Film, Race and Masculinity – Conversations with Louisa Schein, Spring, 2010]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120311002439/http://hmongstudies.org/ScheinVangHSJ11.pdf Archive]) ''[[Hmong Studies Journal]]''. (northern hemisphere) Spring 2010. Volume 11. p.&nbsp;7.</ref>
Vang resided in the [[Twin Cities]] area. He grew up in a neighborhood in [[Minneapolis]] that he described as "poor."<ref name=shrug>{{cite news|last=Vang|first=Bee|title=Opinion: Why I can't shrug off KDWB's hateful slur against Hmong community|url=http://www.twincities.com/ci_17786705|newspaper=[[St. Paul Pioneer Press]]|accessdate=April 7, 2011 |date=April 7, 2011 }}</ref> He later lived in [[Robbinsdale, Minnesota]].<ref>Xamoua. "[http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/01/23/gran-torino-interview-bee-vang.html "Gran Torino" interview with Bee Vang]." ''[[Hmong Today]]'' at ''[[Twin Cities Daily Planet]]''. January 27, 2009. Retrieved on March 14, 2012.</ref> In his earlier years, he attended Webster Open, a middle school in Minneapolis where he took theater class. For his freshman year he attended [[Camden High School (Minneapolis)|Camden High School]], and he was in the [[University of Minnesota]]'s advanced program.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.startribune.com/a-big-new-hollywood-star-why-he-says-no-i-m-bee-vang/39341277/|title=A big, new Hollywood star? Why, he says: 'No, I'm Bee Vang'|website=Star Tribune|date=February 9, 2009}}</ref> He also attended [[Robbinsdale Armstrong High School]] in [[Plymouth, Minnesota|Plymouth]], [[Minnesota]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.twincities.com/ci_11411830| title=He auditioned on a lark. Now, he's Eastwood's co-star.| newspaper=[[St. Paul Pioneer Press]]| last=Hewitt | first= Chris| date=January 9, 2009 | accessdate=January 19, 2009| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090122090043/http://www.twincities.com/ci_11411830| archivedate= January 22, 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref>
As a youth, Vang mainly watched Asian films.<ref>"[http://hmongstudies.org/ScheinVangHSJ11.pdf ''Gran Torino''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Hmong Lead Bee Vang on Film, Race and Masculinity – Conversations with Louisa Schein, Spring, 2010]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120311002439/http://hmongstudies.org/ScheinVangHSJ11.pdf Archive]) ''[[Hmong Studies Journal]]''. (northern hemisphere) Spring 2010. Volume 11. p.&nbsp;2.</ref> He also watched [[Clint Eastwood]] [[western film|westerns]]<ref>"[https://archive.today/20120911131048/http://www.salisburypost.com/Lifestyle/012709-Film-BeeVang Bee Vang feels lucky: Actor debuts opposite Eastwood in 'Gran Torino']." ''[[Salisbury Post]]''. Tuesday January 27, 2009. Retrieved on March 15, 2012.</ref> and was a fan of Eastwood.<ref name="Schein">Schein, Louisa. "[http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=506b407281c5f9afd1a757cb9c3dca80 Hmong Actors Making History Part 2: Meet the Gran Torino Family] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617082429/http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=506b407281c5f9afd1a757cb9c3dca80 |date=2011-06-17 }}." ''[[Hmong Today]]'' at ''[[New America Media]]. October 4, 2008. Retrieved on March 17, 2012.</ref>
Vang attended [[Brown University]] in [[Providence, Rhode Island]].<ref name=shrug /> He graduated from Brown "with a degree in international politics, political economy and media and cultural studies".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/covid-19-era-s-anti-asian-racism-isn-t-new-ncna1258184|title=Opinion &#124; What starring in "Gran Torino" in 2008 taught me about anti-Asian racism today|last=Vang |first=Bee |website=NBC News|date=February 17, 2021|access-date=September 23, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2021-04-22/hollywood-and-mainstreaming-anti-asian-racism|title=Hollywood and the Mainstreaming of Anti-Asian Racism|website=Commonwealth Club}}</ref>
== Career ==
Vang auditioned for the Clint Eastwood film ''Gran Torino'' "on a lark". He had no prior acting experience. More than 2,000 actors auditioned for the role that Vang eventually received. He learned later that he had been selected because of his "innocent looks and slight build".<ref name="AP-Novice actor" /> The film is notable for being "the first major Hollywood portrayal of Hmong families".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article24519838.html|title= Clint Eastwood's 'Gran Torino' is more than film for Hmong |work=Sacramento Bee |last=Maganini |first=Stephen |date=January 11, 2009 |access-date=September 23, 2021}}</ref> Vang portrayed Thao Vang Lor, "a mild-mannered Hmong teenager who as part of a gang initiation tries to steal the prized 1972 Gran Torino of his next-door neighbor, a surly Korean War veteran" played by Eastwood.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.minnpost.com/arts-arena/2009/02/aspiring-actors-or-moral-agents-hmong-panelists-look-back-their-roles-gran-torino/|title=Aspiring actors or moral agents: Hmong panelists look back at their roles in 'Gran Torino'|date=February 23, 2009|website=MinnPost}}</ref> ''Gran Torino'' grossed nearly $270 million worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newswhistle.com/box-office-brasserie-movie-news-for-movie-lovers-21/|title=Box Office Brasserie: Movie News For Movie Lovers |last=Bock|first=Jeff |website=NewsWhistle.com |date=January 16, 2015| access-date=September 23, 2021}}</ref>
In 2009, Vang stated that ''Gran Torino'' was "generally accurate in its portrayal of Hmong, a highlands people who fought for the U.S. during the Vietnam War and later emigrated from Southeast Asia and settled in Minnesota, Wisconsin and California".<ref name="AP-Novice actor" /> In later years, Vang spoke extensively against the film's use of anti-Asian slurs and its portrayal of Hmong people.<ref name="auto1" />  By 2010,<ref name="AfterGT">"[http://crg.berkeley.edu/content/gran-torino After Gran Torino: Forum on Race, Violence, Sexuality, and Asian American Masculinities (2012)]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120229213515/http://crg.berkeley.edu/content/gran-torino Archive]) [[University of California, Berkeley]].</ref> Vang had become an activist.<ref>"[http://asia.isp.msu.edu/calendar/details.htm?id=42806&pf=t Beyond Gran Torino: Hmong {{not a typo|Persepctives}} and Media Futures (Lecture)]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20131230235847/http://asia.isp.msu.edu/calendar/details.htm?id=42806&pf=t Archive]) Asian Studies Center, [[Michigan State University]]. Retrieved on March 18, 2012.</ref> He collaborated on [[social justice]] film, Internet, and print products with Louisa Schein, a Hmong media expert, Va-Megn Thoj, a Hmong filmmaker, and Ly Chong Thong Jalao, a [[University of California Santa Barbara]] [[Ph.D.]] student. He traveled around the United States doing public speaking regarding ''Gran Torino'' and post-''Gran Torino'' issues related to the Hmong community.<ref name="AfterGT" /><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/gran-torino-bee-vang-anti-asian-slurs-1234910443/|title='Gran Torino' Star Bee Vang Denounces Film's Anti-Asian Slurs|website=Variety.com |first1=Antonio|last1=Ferme|date=February 18, 2021}}</ref> Vang also wrote a 2011 editorial criticizing a ''[[KDWB]]'' radio comedy segment, saying that it portrayed Hmong people in an offensive manner.<ref name=shrug /> In 2021, Vang stated that he did not regret his role in ''Gran Torino'', but noted that he did not see "a place for 'Gran Torino' in this day and age". Vang added: "'I couldn't possibly imagine the film being made in this moment...where you know there's a lot of violent language used against Asian bodied people. It's not OK'".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/gran-torino-actor-bee-vang-returns-acting-t219192|title='Gran Torino' actor Bee Vang on returning to acting amid rise in anti-Asian racism|last=Yu |first=Yi-Jin |website=Today.com |date=May 27, 2021|access-date=September 23, 2021}}</ref>
Since ''Gran Torino'', Vang has appeared on ''[[Modern Family]]''<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/bee-vang|title=Rotten Tomatoes: Movies &#124; TV Shows &#124; Movie Trailers &#124; Reviews – Rotten Tomatoes|website=www.rottentomatoes.com |access-date=September 23, 2021}}</ref> and acted in independent films and stage performances.<ref name="AfterGT" /> Vang acted in a [[YouTube]] parody of one scene in ''Gran Torino'', titled "Thao Does Walt: Lost Scenes from Gran Torino".<ref>"[http://hmongstudies.org/ScheinVangHSJ11.pdf ''Gran Torino''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Hmong Lead Bee Vang on Film, Race and Masculinity – Conversations with Louisa Schein, Spring, 2010]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120311002439/http://hmongstudies.org/ScheinVangHSJ11.pdf Archive]) ''[[Hmong Studies Journal]]''. (northern hemisphere) Spring 2010. Volume 11. p.&nbsp;4.</ref> In addition, he acted in "Anatomically Incorrect", "Fallen City", and "Sunset on Dawn".<ref name="AfterGT" />
Vang returned to cinema in 2020 with a role in ''Comisery'', an apocalyptic Asian-American science fiction comedy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/amy-hill-comisery-asian-american-zoom-movie-1234754705/|title=Amy Hill's Sci-Fi Film 'Comisery' Is the Only Zoom Call Worth Taking|website=Variety.com |first1=Janet |last1=Lee|date=September 1, 2020}}</ref> In 2021, he was cast in a lead role in a horror comedy entitled ''Dark Christmas''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/gran-torino-bee-vang-indie-horror-dark-christmas-1234711390/|title='Gran Torino' Actor Bee Vang Set To Star In Indie Horror-Comedy 'Dark Christmas'|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |first1=Dino-Ray|last1=Ramos|date=March 10, 2021}}</ref>
== Filmography ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Year !! Film !! Role !! Notes
|-
| 2008 || ''[[Gran Torino]]'' || [[Thao Vang Lor]] || <ref name="auto1" />
|-
| 2011 || ''[[Modern Family]]'' || Himself || <ref name="auto" />
|}
== See also ==
{{Portal|United States|Biography|Film}}
* [[History of the Hmong in Fresno, California]]
* [[History of the Hmong in Minneapolis–Saint Paul]]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== Further reading ==
* Schein, Louisa and Va-Megn Thoj, with Bee Vang and Ly Chong Thong Jalao. "Beyond Gran Torino's Guns: Hmong Cultural Warriors Performing Genders." ''Positions: East Asia Cultures Critique''. [[Duke University Press]], 2012. Volume 20, Issue 3. P. 763–792. ISSN 1067-9847. Available at [[Project MUSE]].
== External links ==
{{Commons category|Bee Vang}}
*{{IMDb name|3057402}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140517115459/http://ias.umn.edu/2009/02/20/gran-torino-panel/ Conversation with Bee Vang and other actors in ''Gran Torino''] at [[University of Minnesota]]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vang, Bee}}
[[Category:1991 births]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American actors of Chinese descent]]
[[Category:American people of Hmong descent]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Male actors from Minnesota]]
[[Category:Male actors from Fresno, California]]
[[Category:Brown University alumni]]