Qui Nguyen is an American playwright, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for his
play Vietgone, which won the 2016 Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award and was a finalist for the Edward M. Kennedy Prize. He is also a co-founder of the Obie Award-winning Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company, which produces original works of "geek theater". For Disney, he co-wrote the 2021 film Raya and the Last Dragon, along with Adele Lim, and wrote the 2022 film Strange World.
Early life and career[]
Nguyen was born in Arkansas to Vietnamese refugees who fled the Vietnam War. He grew up in El Dorado, Arkansas and San Jose, California. He attended UCLA, where he majored in theater and film. He later received an MFA in playwriting from Ohio University.
Nguyen's plays often explore themes of identity, culture, and history through a genre-bending style that incorporates comic books, martial arts, hip-hop, and video games. Some of his notable works include She Kills Monsters, Soul Samurai, Alice in Slasherland, and The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G. He has received commissions from The Children's Theatre Company, The Denver Center Theatre, South Coast Repertory, and The Atlantic Theater Company. In addition to his theater work, Nguyen is also a writer for television.
Filmography[]
| Year | Film | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Raya and the Last Dragon | Screenplay |
| 2022 | Strange World | Screenplay, co-director |
