Tiana Alexandra

Filmmaker, performer, and writer, Tiana Alexandra (Thi Thanh Nga) was born in Saigon and emigrated to the USA with her family as a consequence of the Vietnam War. Tiana escaped to Hollywood to fulfill her childhood dream to act and dance. She became Tiana Karate Princess: the first female student of 'Bruce Lee', whom she met through Jhoon Rhee in Virginia. Tiana made her screen debut in Sam Peckinpah 's The Killer Elite (1975). Subsequent starring roles included Pearl, the hit ABC miniseries about Pearl Harbor, the leading role in Catch the Heat (1987) with Rod Steiger, _Fly Away Home (TV 1981)_ with Brian Dennehy & The Three Kings (1987) with Lou Diamond Phillips . She was the first Vietnamese American to join Screen Actors Guild but left acting in 1988 to pursue philanthropy and social activism.