Robert Downey Jr has special way of showing 'love and admiration', co-star says

15 April 2024 , 08:45

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Kieu Chinh had nothing but praise for her co-star

Robert Downey Jr has picked up a fair few tricks in his Hollywood career, including how to create an instant bond with his co-stars.

The 59-year-old is starring in the new HBO series The Sympathizer alongside Killing Eve star Sandra Oh. The seven-part limited series is as an "espionage thriller and cross-culture satire" about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy known as The Captain.

Also starring in the show is actress Kieu Chinh, best-known for her role in The Joy Luck Club. She sat down with The Mirror to speak about the new show and revealed all about how they bonded behind-the-scenes.

READ MORE: 'As an actress who came from a warzone, I went through so much,' admits HBO star Kieu Chinh

Kieu Chinh starred alongside Robert Downey Jr (FilmMagic for HBO)

"On the set, there's not much time to talk about our own stories, but we wouldn't miss any chance that we are together and able to share our feelings by a warm looking eye contact and giving a big hug, you know? Just to show our love and admiration for each other," Chinh said.

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She explained how important it was for them to show how much they "admire and care for" one another while on set. Chinh revealed: "It's not because of our own personal feelings, but it helps for the character, it helps for the working relationship on set as well."

Chinh found fame in Vietnam but was forced to flee to Canada on the last flight out of Vietnam during the fall of Saigon in 1975. She said there are "many scenes" in The Sympathizer which "bring back my memories" of her time in Vietnam.

She said The Sympathizer has brought back a lot of memories (Kieu Chinh)

The actress added: "Especially the scene of the last day of Saigon where the evacuation, the huge evacuation at the airport, we shot that in Thailand at night-time. All night, I feel my heart was beating and I’m not only acting as an actress but it’s like I relived my own experiences."

She continued: "I had left Saigon, Vietnam, and I became a refugee. I left Saigon with nothing but clothes on my back and I came to America under the sponsorship of actress Tippi Hedren, the actress from Hitchcock’s movie The Birds.

"My life story is quite long to discuss, but as an actor who came from a warzone country like Vietnam, I went through so much and there are some scenes in the story that are related to my own life."

Scarlett O'Toole