[1] She currently resides in Ho Chi Minh City, where besides acting she is also active as a live event MC and as a goodwill ambassador for various charitable causes (including road safety, gender equality, and Operation Smile).

[5][6] Initially resisting a career in acting, she studied film and economics at UC Irvine[7] – but ended up interning for DreamWorks and exploring various opportunities within the entertainment industry, at one time working with Warner Brothers and Adam Sandler.

[10] During her university days, Uyen had met director Victor Vu, which led to a role in his 2004 film Spirits, while producing and hosting an interview show for a local Vietnamese-language channel.

[12] While she continued to win parts in successive features, Uyen’s concern that her career would be limited as a Vietnamese American led her to write and produce her own film, How to Fight in Six Inch Heels (2013) with director Ham Tran.

[13] She continues to work in Vietnamese cinema, most recently with her starring role in Tan Binh Vo’s Triple Trouble (2015) and cameo part in Le Thanh Son's Jailbait (2017).