Anh Do

Anh Do (born 2 June 1977)^[2] is an Australian author, actor, comedian, and painter. He has appeared on Australian television shows such as Thank God You're Here and Good News Week, and was runner-up on Dancing with the Stars in 2007. He studied a combined Business Law degree at the University of Technology, Sydney.^[3] He is the brother of film director Khoa Do and has acted in several of Khoa's films, including Footy Legends, 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 and won the 2017 People's Choice Award.^[4] From 2016 to 2021, Do hosted Anh's Brush with Fame on ABC TV in which he concurrently interviews and paints a portrait of prominent Australians.

Early life

Anh Do was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.^[1] Do and his family fled to Australia as refugees in 1980.^[5] 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.^[1] The boat was packed with 40 Vietnamese refugees fleeing across the Indian Ocean.^[6]

Do's family settled in the Sydney suburb of Yagoona.^[7] Do attended St Aloysius' College in Milsons Point for his secondary education.^[8] 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, he owned a stall which sold American Indian artifacts, which he later expanded to four franchised stores.^[5]

Career

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.^[5]

Do's memoir 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, Community Relations Commission Award.^[1]

Since 2013, Do has cut back on comedy to focus on painting full-time. He was a finalist in the Archibald Prize in 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2022. From 2016 to 2021, Do hosted Anh's Brush with Fame on ABC TV.^[9][10] In this popular program, Anh Do concurrently interviews and paints a portrait of prominent Australians. He has been criticised for pre-painting the portraits from photographs and enlisting help from his art tutor.^[11][12]

Personal life

Do is married to Suzanne (Suzie) Do and they have three sons and a daughter.^[13] Do met Suzie whilst they were both studying at university.^[14] His mother, Hien, played the role of Van Nguyen's mother, Kim, in Better Man, a film which was produced by Anh's brother Khoa Do.^[15]

Awards

• 2011 Independent Booksellers Book of the Year^[16] (for The Happiest Refugee)
• 2011 Joint winner (with musician Paul Kelly) of the Biography of the Year^[17] (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 (for portrait of Jack Charles)^[4]
• 2024 Young Australian Best Book Award for Fiction for younger readers (for Hot Dog #10: Beach Time!, illustrated by Dan McGuiness)^[18]

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), 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.^[19] (wins only) |- | 2012 | Anh Do | Rodney Rude Stand Up Comedian of the Year | |-

Filmography

Books

References

1. ^ Do, Anh (2010). The Happiest Refugee. Allen&Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74237-238-9.
2. ^ "Do, Anh - Full record view - Libraries Australia Search". librariesaustralia.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
3. ^ Celebrity Speakers Archived 29 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Anh Do
4. ^ "Archibald Prize Archibald 2022 work: Peter, up close by Anh Do". Art Gallery of New South Wales. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
5. ^ "Profile: Anh Do". The Age. 2 February 2011.
6. ^ "No laughing matter". Steve Dow. 10 May 2009. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
7. ^ Steve Dow (2019-05-13). "No laughing matter". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
8. ^ McCowen, Sharyn. "Happiest refugee gives 'all credit to big fella upstairs'". The Catholic Weekly. Archived 22 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
9. ^ Knox, David (30 July 2016). "Airdate: Anh's Brush with Fame". TV Tonight. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
10. ^ David Knox (14 March 2019). "Returning: Anh's Brush with Fame". TV Tonight. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
11. ^ Perry, Kevin (2019-07-18). "Should ABC viewers feel cheated by ANH DO and that 7 year old image of Chef KYLIE KWONG?". TV Blackbox. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
12. ^ Hornery, Andrew (2021-07-02). "Anh Do refuses to let critics, doubters take gloss off his celebrity portraits". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
13. ^ Taylor, Andrew (5 September 2014). "Why comedian Anh Do turned his hand to painting for the Archibald Prize". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
14. ^ Catie Powers (2021-11-19). "Anh Do was initially rejected by his wife Suzie before they fell in love". New Idea. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
15. ^ David Wenham proud of Better Man's message, TV Tonight, 30 July 2013
16. ^ Comedian Anh Do wins indie book prize | ABC Radio 26 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2013
17. ^ Comedian wins top book prize | ABC News 15 March 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2013
18. ^ "YABBA Awards 2024 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 2024-10-29. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
19. ^ "MO Award Winners". Mo Awards. Retrieved 16 March 2022.

External links

• Anh Do at IMDb