France Nuyen (born July 31, 1939) is a French actress.

She was born in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France as France Nguyen Van-Nga. Her mother was French and her father was Vietnamese; French is Nguyen's first language and she speaks no Asian languages. During the Second World War, her mother and grandfather were persecuted by the Nazis for being Gypsies. She was raised in Marseille by a cousin, whom she describes as "an orchid raiser who was the only person who gave a damn about me."

Working as a seamstress in 1955, she was discovered by the LIFE photographer Philippe Halsman on the beach. She became a stage actress and portrayed Suzie Wong in the theatrical production of The World of Suzie Wong in 1958, opposite William Shatner (with whom she later worked again in an episode of Star Trek, as the memorable Elaan of Troyius). She was about to portray Suzie Wong in the film production but was replaced by Nancy Kwan.

She then went on to appear in television and in films including South Pacific (1958), Diamond Head (1963), Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973), and The Joy Luck Club (1993). She continues to work in film and is slated to appear in the film The American Standards in 2007.

From 1963 to 1966, she was married to Dr. Thomas Gaspar Morell, a psychiatrist, with whom she has a daughter named Fleur (who is happily married and resides in Canada). She met her second husband, Robert Culp, while appearing on his TV show I Spy; they married in 1967 but divorced in 1970.

In 1986, she earned a master's degree in Clinical Psychology and began a second career as a psychological counselor for abused women and children, and women in prison. She received a "Woman of the Year" award in 1989 for her psychological work.

Of Vietnamese-French ancestry.

First husband was a New York psychiatrist, with whom she had a daughter named Fleur.

Herself a victim of child abuse, Nuyen earned a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology in 1986, and since then has made the transition to a second career in family practice counseling, working mostly with abused children, abused and battered women and women in prison.

Received the 1989 "Woman of the Year" award in Los Angeles for her work as a consulting psychologist in treating abused children and convicted women.

Marlon Brando, who had a penchant for Asian women, had a brief affair with France in the early 60s.

Born to a French mother and Vietnamese father (French is her first language) and raised in Marseilles by a cousin, she claims her mother and grandfather were persecuted by the Germans during WWII for being gypsies.

Married and divorced twice. Her second husband was Robert Culp, whom she met while appearing on his "I Spy" (1965) TV series. Her first was a psychiatrist with whom she had a daughter, Fleur.

Surprisingly, the 50th anniversary celebration of South Pacific (1958) did not include her. She played the role of Liat in the 1958 film.

Bitterly complained that director Amy Tan cut her best scene in Joy Luck Club, The (1993) and took all known actresses off advertising in order to draw all attention to herself when promoting the film.

The second major Asian actress to become a star in Hollywood after Anna May Wong (I), she was a tremendous success opposite William Shatner in the title role of a prostitute in "The World of Suzie Wong" on Broadway in 1958. She had to learn her lines phonetically. She began shooting the film version when she was suddenly replaced by producer Ray Stark by Nancy Kwan.