Hiep Thi Le

Hiep Thi Le (; February 18, 1971 – December 19, 2017) was an American actress and restaurateur. She is best known for her portrayal of Le Ly in the film Heaven & Earth (1993). Early life Le was born on February 18, 1971, in Da Nang, South Vietnam. In 1978, her father became a refugee who defected from Vietnam to Hong Kong. When Le was nine years old, she fled Vietnam with her mother and sister. We were told by my mom that we had to go look for Dad, and that he had gone to someplace called 'America', which we interpreted was the city across the river, since it had lights. Along with approximately 60 other refugees, hid in a secret compartment behind a galley pantry on a fishing boat sailing to Hong Kong to reunite with their father.