Phạm Thị Hồng Ánh (born 28th August, 1977), commonly known by her stage name Hồng Ánh , is a Vietnamese actress, TV presenter and director. One of the most decorated Vietnamese actresses, she switched from a professional dancing career to acting in TV productions and rose to prominence in 1999 with a lead role in Cầu Thang Tối, and a supporting role in Đời Cát (Life in the Sands) by Nguyễn Thanh Vân which earned her Best Supporting Actress award at that year's Asia -Pacific Film Festival. Her later collaborations with Nguyễn Thanh Vân were also great critical successes, with Người đàn bà mộng du (2003) and Trái tim bé bỏng (2008) both bringing her two Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress at Vietnam Film Festival. In 2007, Hồng Ánh starred in the most iconic role of her career, Hạnh in Trăng nơi đáy giếng (The Moon at the Bottom of the Well); the film is considered a cult classic, while her performance is universally lauded by audience and critics alike with Hồng Ánh being awarded with the 2008 Golden Kite for Best Actress. Besides her work in critically-acclaimed arthouse films, Hồng Ánh also often stars in box office hits as well as theatre productions. She is the only female member of the Golden Kite jury, and has been a judge in several local film festivals. In 2011, she was also among the few artists to be nominated into the National Assembly.
