American-Vietnamese actress greets fans in local language

She said so during an interview with NgoiSao after the premiere of the animated movie “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken,” in which she played a leading voice role.

She then said: “Xin chào Việt Nam. Tôi yêu các bạn.” (Hello Vietnam. I love you)

Lana Condor during her interview with NgoiSao. Photo courtesy of NgoiSao

“I think the message of our film is to embrace your differences because that’s what makes you unique,” Condor said when asked about her thoughts on the movie.

She added that she hoped audiences would feel inspired by the character’s bravery and how she was willing to courageously do anything for her beloved despite her fear.

“Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” tells the story of Ruby Gillman (voiced by Condor), a shy high school student who discovers that she is a direct descendant of the warrior kraken queens, who swore to protect the oceans of the world against the vain and power-hungry mermaids. Destined to inherit the throne from her commanding grandmother (voiced by Jane Fonda), Gillman must use her new found powers to protect those she loves most.

Lana Condor during the “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” premiere on June 30, 2023. Photo from Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken’s Instagram

Born Tran Dong Lan in the Mekong Delta province of Can Tho, Condor spent the first few months of her life in an orphanage. She was brought to the U.S. by her adoptive American parents in October 1997, before she was a year old.

She has been active in the entertainment industry since 2016, and her major debut role came as Jubilee in “X-Men: Apocalypse.” Condor then grew to stardom after starring in the 2018 Netflix-produced rom-com “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.”

Despite not being able to speak Vietnamese, she said Vietnam has always had a special place in her heart and she has visited the country several times.

Her most recent trip to Vietnam was in 2022, when she wrote on her Instagram account: “Being back in Vietnam, exploring my birth country, has been nothing short of a dream. Get ready for an extreme amount of food content…”

Condor also demonstrated her appreciation for her Vietnamese heritage by having her engagement ring jointly designed by her boyfriend Anthony De La Torre and a Vietnamese owned jewelry brand.

“The fact he knew how important it was to me that he’d collaborate with a Vietnamese company to help design my ring is a testament to just how truly thoughtful he always is,” she wrote on her engagement announcement post on Instagram.