Haing Somnang Ngor (
Khmer: ហ៊ាំង សំណាង ង៉ោ, , March 22, 1940 – February 25, 1996) was a
Cambodian American physician, actor, and author who is best known for winning the 1985
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his debut performance in the movie
The Killing Fields, in which he portrayed Cambodian journalist and refugee
Dith Pran. He was also the first ever male Asian actor to win an Oscar for a supporting performance and debut performance. His mother was
Khmer and his father was of Chinese Teochew descent. Ngor and
Harold Russell are the only two non-professional actors to win an
Academy Award in an acting category.