Mrs. Trang refused and fought for her 6-year-old daughter's life by force-feeding her while Thuy was unconscious, and by providing Thuy with what little food and water was given.  She was just too precious to give up on. {Although it hasn't been documented, her family may have been harassed by pirates.  Our boats were invaded and looted by them.  I was almost abducted!}

After having survived the harsh lifestyle in the Hong Kong camps, Thuy and her family finally arrived safely in America in 1980.  It was a joyous family reunion.

"As a little girl, I believed that he was out there and I never gave up hope.  I guess what they say is true, 'Believe in your dreams and they will become reality.'  Mine did!"

Sadly, the reunion was short lived.  Thuy's father passed away of cancer a couple of years later.  This woman had been through so much, yet continued on and excelled in all her endeavours. Thuy made a substantial contribution to support her family financially and emotionally since her father's death.  She served as an inspiration to us all, and was a shining role model for youths all over the world.

"I love the kids.  That was the hardest part about leaving the show."

Even though this Vietnamese had become a successful American citizen, she did not forgotten her roots or her past. {I haven't either.  I visited the homeland back in the summer of 1996.  What an experience that was!)

Thuy had grown up as a Vietnamese refugee in the United States, but like most young immigrants, she managed to adapt to the new language and culture.  Although Thuy missed her extended family back home in Vietnam, she was happy in her new homeland.

Thuy was proud of her multicultural heritage.  Her ethnic background consisted of Vietnamese, Chinese, and French nationalities.  She was fluent in Vietnamese and Cantonese, and could speak some French.  Although her accent slipped out occasionally, Thuy spoke perfect English. {Thuy Trang est tres belle, non?}

Thuy was a smartie as well.  She graduated from Banning High School earning a scholarship to study civil engineering at UC Irvine.

"My dad was an engineer.  My sister graduated with an engineering degree at UCLA, and then my brother went to UCLA for engineering.  So it was just a pattern -- Thuy HAS to go into engineering."

As reported in TV Guide, some of Thuy's hobbies included playing tennis, jogging, reading novels, and spending quality time with her friends.  Of her past MMPR co-stars, she remained close with Austin St. John and Walter Jones.  In fact, Austin considered Thuy to be like his little sister. {Oh, if I were a friend of Thuy's, I'd very much enjoy spending quality time with her.  Ah, love ...[sigh]... y'know, it's a tennis term.}

When asked, "What hobbies do you like?" from a little kid on the MMPR High Five video, Thuy replied that she liked practising martial arts and collecting dolls.  It's uncertain if she was answering in character or not because those interests were characteristic of Trini.  Then again, the Power Rangers' personalities were developed partially from the actors and actresses who portrayed them.  But one thing's for sure; Thuy is an accomplished martial artist.  In her youth, Thuy's father instructed her to take up kung-fu for self-defense purposes.  Ultimately, her martial arts background was the edge she had in auditioning to become a Power Ranger.

Thuy committed herself to making a significant difference in all that she was and all that she did for herself and the world at large!!

"We should all be responsible for what we're doing on TV, in films and publications.  Each one of us has to take responsibility for reality, and present it so that kids will grow up familiar with that and say, 'Okay.  I know that.  I've seen that before.  I'm not afraid of it.  That's cool.'"

THE ACTRESS

After breaking into the business, Thuy had this to say,

"Power Rangers was a fun show with lots of excitement and was a great experience, but I want to further my education in the field of civil engineering when time allows.  In the meantime, I'm concentrating on my career.  I want to be taken as a serious actress."

{Brains, beauty, athleticism, and determination.  What an attractive combination!}

In other words, the ambitious young woman wanted to branch out.  Like most TV stars, she wanted to make the transition into the big screen, and that she did.  Thuy Trang made her feature film debut in the movie The Crow: City of Angels as the femme fatale, Kali.

Thuy also had a brief cameo in the Leslie Nielson flick, Spy Hard, where she played a masseuse.  She was to have starred alongside her fellow ex-Power Rangers in Cyberstrike, but that film never came to be due to production difficulties.

On a brighter note, Thuy, along with ex-Rangers, Austin St. John and Walter Jones, appeared in a documentary film called The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts.  Hosted by James Hong, veteran actor of over 400 feature films and television shows (pratically every show/film that required an Asian actor), this informative and entertaining video showcases 10 different styles of martial arts.  Interviews of Hollywood celebrities and martial arts masters are blended with with film clips and videos of them in action.  You'll gain an insight into the various styles of martial arts, why and how the stars became involved with their disciplines, what it's done for their lives and careers, and the secrets of how they made the transition from dojo to studio.  This video is no longer published. If you've got yourself a copy, lucky you!