Sandra Oh, Kieu Chinh and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen have joined the cast of “The Sympathizer” at HBO in recurring roles.
A satirical espionage thriller, “The Sympathizer” follows the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States. The series is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel of the same name. Previously announced stars include Hoa Xuande, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le, Alan Trong and Robert Downey Jr.
Oh will play Ms. Sofia Mori, a liberated feminist who, in the midst of a love triangle, begins to awaken to the complexity of her own Asian American identity.
Chinh plays the Major’s mother. Homesick for Vietnam, she doesn’t find an easy fit with her new circumstances, in contrast to her son who has jumped in feet first.
Duyen plays Madame, the General’s (Le) wife and elegant and commanding matriarch who’s desperate to keep her daughter modest and her husband from unraveling as they restart their lives as refugees.
Director Park Chan-wook serves as co-showrunner of “The Sympathizer” with Don McKellar. They both executive produce alongside Downey, Susan Downey and Amanda Burrell on behalf of Team Downey; Kim Ly; Niv Finchman for Rhombus Media; Ron Schmidt; Nguyen; and Jisun Back on behalf of Moho Film. The series is a co-production between HBO, A24 and Rhombus Media in association with Cinetic Media and Moho Film. The project is currently in production, with filming taking place in Los Angeles and Thailand.