Anh Do is a Vietnamese-born Australian author, comedian, actor, painter, and television presenter whose extraordinary personal story, from a perilous refugee crossing of the South China Sea to the upper reaches of Australian cultural life, has made him one of the most cherished and inspiring public figures in the nation’s modern history.
His memoir The Happiest Refugee (2010), which tells the story of his family’s escape from post-war Vietnam, won the Australian Book of the Year and Biography of the Year at the 2011 Australian Book Industry Awards and has been studied in Australian secondary schools across the country.
A multi-award-winning children’s author, Archibald Prize finalist, and beloved television host, Anh Do’s journey stands as one of the most remarkable immigrant success stories of his generation.
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Anh Do: History · Bio · Photo
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Full Name: | Anh Do |
| Born: | June 2, 1977 |
| Age: | 49 years old |
| Birthplace: | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
| Nationality: | Australian (Vietnamese-born) |
| Occupation: | Author, Comedian, Actor, Painter, TV Host |
| Parents: | Tam Do (father); Hien Do (mother) |
| Siblings: | Khoa Do (brother, film director); Tram Do (sister) |
| Spouse: | Suzanne (Suzie) Do (married; separated) |
| Children: | 4 (Summer, Leon, Xavier, Luc Do) |
| Net Worth: | AUD $5–8 million |
Early Life
Anh Do was born on June 2, 1977, in Ho Chi Minh City (then Saigon), Vietnam. In 1980, when Anh was approximately three years old, his family made a terrifying decision, to flee the communist regime that had taken hold of Vietnam following the end of the war.
His parents, Tam and Hien Do, packed their children onto a small, severely overcrowded fishing boat measuring nine and a half metres long and two metres wide. Approximately 40 Vietnamese refugees were crammed onto the vessel for the crossing of the Indian Ocean. The boat was attacked by two separate bands of Thai pirates during the journey.
The first group stole one of the boat’s two engines; the second stole the repaired replacement, though, crucially, one of the departing pirates threw a gallon of water back onto the boat, which kept the passengers alive.
Only one person among the refugees did not survive the crossing. The family was eventually rescued by a German merchant ship and arrived in Sydney in August 1980. They settled in Sydney, where Anh grew up.
Education
Anh Do attended St Aloysius’ College in Milsons Point, Sydney, for his secondary education. He then enrolled at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), where he completed a combined degree in Business and Law.
Despite graduating and being offered positions at law firms, he declined the offers, choosing instead to pursue his passion for stand-up comedy, a decision that, as he has described in interviews, his parents initially found baffling but ultimately supported.
As a student, he also ran a successful retail business selling American Indian crafts, which grew to operate four stores, an early demonstration of his entrepreneurial instincts. He is fluent in English, Vietnamese, and French.
Career
Stand-Up Comedy (1997–2010)
Anh Do began performing stand-up comedy professionally in the late 1990s. He was an early winner of the NSW Triple J Raw Comedy Champion competition, which launched his national profile.
He went on to tour nationally and internationally, becoming one of Australia’s best-loved comedians with a show that wove personal stories, family history, and sharp social observation into a warm and universally accessible performance style.
He won the Mo Award for Rodney Rude Stand-Up Comedian of the Year in 2012. His comedy regularly appeared on The NRL Footy Show and the Matty Johns Show, and he was a beloved recurring guest on Thank God You’re Here and Good News Week. He was the runner-up on Dancing with the Stars (Australia) in 2007, and won AUD $200,000 on a special edition of Deal or No Deal.
Acting Career
Anh Do’s acting career runs parallel to his comedy and authorship work. He co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in the sports film Footy Legends (2006), directed by his brother Khoa Do.
His other screen credits include Pizza, Blue Water High, Little Fish (2005), The Finished People (2003), All Saints, SeaChange, and Double the Fist. He made a cameo appearance as himself in his brother Khoa Do’s work on multiple occasions.
The Happiest Refugee and Literary Career (2010–present)
The Happiest Refugee, published in 2010, became one of Australia’s most celebrated memoirs. Recounting his family’s refugee journey and subsequent life in Australia, the book won Australian Book of the Year, Biography of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year at the 2011 ABIA Awards, as well as the Indie Book of the Year.
It was shortlisted for the 2011 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Community Relations Commission Award and has been included in the school curriculum across multiple Australian states. He also co-authored The Little Refugee (a picture book) with his wife Suzanne.
As a children’s author, Anh Do has achieved phenomenal success. He has written 13 series of children’s books, including the Weir Do, Hot Dog, and Ninja Kid series, with 199 books across these series, all of them national bestsellers. He won the 2024 Young Australian Best Book Award for Fiction for younger readers for Hot Dog #10: Beach Time!
Television and Painting (2013–present)
Since 2013, Anh Do has devoted increasing time to fine art, with a focus on portraiture. He has been a finalist in the Archibald Prize, Australia’s most prestigious portrait prize, on four occasions, and won the People’s Choice Award in 2017.
Since 2016, he has hosted Anh’s Brush with Fame on ABC TV, a beloved format in which he simultaneously interviews and paints a portrait of prominent Australians during the sitting. The show has run for multiple series and has introduced audiences to an intimate, quietly revealing style of documentary portraiture.
He has also hosted travel documentaries including Anh Does Vietnam (2012), Anh Does Britain (2013), Anh Does Iceland (2014), Anh Does Scandinavia, and Anh Does Brazil.
Awards and Nominations
- 2007 — Dancing with the Stars Australia — Runner-Up
- 2011 — Australian Book Industry Awards — Australian Book of the Year — Win (The Happiest Refugee)
- 2011 — Australian Book Industry Awards — Biography of the Year — Joint Win (The Happiest Refugee)
- 2011 — Australian Book Industry Awards — Newcomer of the Year — Win (The Happiest Refugee)
- 2011 — Indie Book of the Year Award — Win (The Happiest Refugee)
- 2012 — Mo Award — Rodney Rude Stand-Up Comedian of the Year — Win
- 2017 — Archibald Prize — People’s Choice Award — Win
- 2024 — Young Australian Best Book Award for Fiction (younger readers) — Win (Hot Dog #10)
Social Media
- Official website: anhdo.com
Personal Life
Anh Do married Suzanne (Suzie) Do, with whom he co-authored The Little Refugee. The couple have four children: Summer, Leon, Xavier, and Luc Do.
His brother, Khoa Do, is an award-winning Australian film director who received the Young Australian of the Year Award in 2005. Anh’s father, Tam Do, is portrayed in The Happiest Refugee as a brilliant but complicated man whose mechanical ingenuity helped keep the refugee boat functional during the crossing; he later struggled with alcohol in Australia but eventually rebuilt his life. Anh has spoken extensively in public about the centrality of family, resilience, and gratitude to his worldview and his comedy.
Net Worth
Anh Do’s estimated net worth is approximately AUD $5–8 million, derived from his comedy touring, extensive children’s book publishing royalties, television hosting fees, art sales, keynote speaking engagements, and acting work.
His children’s book series alone, comprising 199 books, represents a significant ongoing income stream.
Selected Publications
- The Happiest Refugee (memoir, 2010)
- The Little Refugee (picture book, with Suzanne Do)
- Weir Do series (13+ volumes)
- Hot Dog series (10+ volumes)
- Ninja Kid series
Conclusion
Anh Do’s life is a story that Australia has taken to its heart because it reflects something the nation wants to believe about itself, that a child who arrives with nothing can become everything, if given the chance.
From the deck of a besieged fishing boat to the walls of the Archibald Prize gallery, from the stages of the comedy circuit to the shelves of every school library in the country, his journey is one of the most vivid, warm, and genuinely inspiring in contemporary Australian cultural life. He remains, above all, the happiest refugee.
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