Biography

Võ Nguyễn Hoài Linh (born December 18, 1969), better known by his stage name Hoài Linh, is a Vietnamese American comedian and actor. A frequent collaborator of Thúy Nga center, he is known for his comedy performances alongside other artists such as Vân Sơn and Chí Tài. Hoài Linh was born on December 18, 1969, in Cam Ranh, Khánh Hòa in a Catholic family with 6 children (3 boys, 3 girls). He is the third child and the eldest son in the family. His parents are from Đại Lộc, Quảng Nam. With the exception of his eldest sister - who were married and remained in Vietnam, his family moved to the United States under the HO status in 1995 - due to the fact that his father previously served in the Republic of Vietnam's Special Forces as a captain. His mother, Nguyễn Thị Lệ Phương, ran a private maternity home in Cam Ranh.

Hoài Linh lived in Cam Ranh until 1975. He then moved with his family to Dầu Giây. In 1988, his family returned to Cam Ranh. Later, they moved to Ho Chi Minh City in 1992 and migrated to the United States at the end of 1993. During this time, Hoài Linh joined the Ponaga music and dance troupe. He studied at a specialized dance school until 1994, when he returned to the dance group.

In 1991, he participated in a singing contest in Nha Trang. Here, he met Thanh Lộc - an actor from Khánh Hòa's recently disbanded theater department. Thanh Lộc proposed that they formed a comedy duo in the Ponaga group's performances. Hoai Linh happily accepted the invitation. Since then, he officially entered the comedy industry. His first performance took place at Diên Khánh.

Hoài Linh is known for his ability to speak various Vietnamese dialects. Upon moving to Long Khánh, he had the opportunity to talk to people from different regions; this allowed him to learn how to imitate their accents.

After migrating to the United States, his family stayed in Orlando, Florida. Here, he was invited to host a wedding at Saigon restaurant. After that, he was regularly invited to perform at many shows.

Around October 1994, Hoài Linh returned to California. He lived at his 10th uncle's house in Los Angeles. Two weeks later, he had the opportunity to visit Little Saigon, and was taken by Nhật Tùng to Tao Nhân cafe. Here, he performed a comedy of Chuyện tình Karaoke. His acting captured the attention of scriptwriter Ngô Tấn Triển. One week later, Hoài Linh met comedian Vân Sơn and was invited to cooperate with him after comedian Bảo Liêm suddenly stopped collaborating with Vân Sơn.

In October 1994, the duo Vân Sơn - Hoài Linh officially performed together in an event held in Orange County. In 1999, after his return to Vietnam, Hoài Linh established his own business called "Hoài Linh Comedy Music". Later, he started collaborating with Thúy Nga Center and New Smile Company. He and comedian Chí Tài remained friends until the latter passed away on December 9, 2020.