Rising actor Doua Moua

Today I met Doua Moua at Zampa in the meatpacking district. He was calmly eating and chatting with the friendly waitress when I walked in, much different from his role in Gran Torino as the gangster “Spider”, though he said he helped shape the character by inspiration from his real-life cousin! He was so cool and excited that we were meeting. We talked the whole time about him as a person, working with Clint Eastwood, and the pride he has in his Hmong-American identity! He is a Minnesotan- his cousin Mee Moua is a Minnesota Senator! It is such an achievement that he is in Clint Eastwood's new film, as it is already looking like another one of the director's masterpieces… maybe we'll see him sitting with Clint at the Oscars!