Anh Do (born 2 June 1977)[2] is a Vietnamese-born Australian author, actor, comedian, and painter.
He has appeared on Australian TV 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 as a refugee
Anh 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.[6] The boat was packed with 40 Vietnamese refugees fleeing across the Indian Ocean. "We were crammed in like sardines," he said.[7] Do's family settled in the Sydney suburb of Yagoona.[8]
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.[6]
Career
Do with wife Suzanne in 2005, walking the red carpet at the premiere of Footy Legends
Do attended St Aloysius' College in Milsons Point for his secondary education.[9] 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. 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] 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 and 2019.
From 2016 to 2021, Do hosted Anh's Brush with Fame on ABC-TV.[10][11] 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.[12][13]
Personal life
Do is married to Suzanne (Suzie) Do and they have three sons and a daughter.[14] Do met Suzie whilst they were both studying at university.[15] 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.[16]
Awards
2011 Independent Booksellers Book of the Year[17] (for The Happiest Refugee)
2011 Joint winner (with musician Paul Kelly) of the Biography of the Year[18] (for The Happiest Refugee)
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]
