Trivia / The Quiet American

• Creative Differences: Michael Redgrave and Audie Murphy did not get along during the filming of the 1958 adaptation. Redgrave felt that Murphy's acting was wooden and found the younger actor's Thousand-Yard Stare off-putting. To make matters worse, Murphy would carry a weapon with him at all times in Saigon in case they ran into "Commies". Redgrave, who was a committed Leftist (and had even once been in the MI5's radar), found this incredibly offensive.
• Fake Nationality: Phuong (who may or may not be mixed race, it is never made clear) is played by Italian actress Giorgia Moll, and her sister by reputedly Algerian (possibly French) actress Kerima.
  • The 2002 film stars Chinese-American actor Tzi Ma as Hinh and Croatian actor Rade Šerbedžija as French police inspector Vigot.
• Playing Against Type: In the 2002 adaptation Brendan Fraser plays the closest in his career to a bad guy, along with generally being one of the rare instances of him playing a serious role in just as serious drama. In fact, it was his first drama role in more than a decade, with The Mummy Returns being his previous film.
• What Could Have Been: Huynh Thi Be, who is engaged to Hung Cuong at the time, was chosen by Joseph L. Mankiewicz to play Phuong as he came to Vietnam to searching Vietnamese women to play Phuong and she is invited to go to Hawaii to prepare to play Phuong. However Hung Cuong did not allow his first future wife to go alone overseas, so she turned down the role and marry him in autumn.

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