Of noteworthy is Nguyen landing the much-coveted starring role in the critically acclaimed LITTLE FISH opposite Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett. Nguyen plays ‘Jonny,’ Blanchett’s love interest in a story that revolves around her ‘Tracy,’ an ex-heroin-addict trying to rebuild her life. Nguyen, also a recovered addict, re-enters ‘Tracy’s’ life, determined to convince her that they are still meant to be together. The film, which also stars Hugo Weaving, Sam Neill and Martin Henderson, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to become the number-one film in Australia. Along the way, it collected 5 Australian Film Institute Awards and 3 Film Critics Awards. LITTLE FISH then opened in New York to rave reviews. Critics took note of Nguyen's performance and transformation into a leading man among the A-list cast. This very performance also earned Dustin the 2007 Asian Excellence Award for Best Supporting Actor in a feature film.

This past spring of 2009, Dustin won the Vietnamese Golden Kite Award (Vietnam’s Academy Award) for Best Actor in the motion picture THE LEGEND IS ALIVE. Dustin played Long, a mentally-challenged man, whose only wish is to bring his recently deceased mother’s ashes to America. Along his journey, Long encounters and reluctantly involves himself with a young girl who has been sold to human traffickers. The film also won in five other categories, including best film and best director.

Most recently, Nguyen starred in Justin Lin's film FINISHING THE GAME, which had its world premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. In this 1970's comedy, Nguyen plays an out-of -work actor who is in the midst of a casting call to replace the freshly deceased Bruce Lee in his unfinished "Game Of Death." Nguyen also had just starred in his first villain role in THE REBEL, a French-Vietnamese 1920's period action-drama, as well as a romantic lead in SAIGON ECLIPSE, a modern day love-story set in Saigon, Vietnam. These two films marked Nguyen's first return to Vietnam in 32 years.

In earlier years, Nguyen has also found success with a pivotal role in Warner Bros.' HEAVEN AND EARTH, directed by Oliver Stone, followed by the action-drama NO ESCAPE, NO RETURN. In addition, he also starred in the independent romantic-comedy ONE HUNDRED PERCENT.

Born in South Vietnam, Nguyen enjoyed a comfortable existence where his father was one of the nation's top film and stage actors. Leaving the country behind on a moment's notice, the Nguyens became the first Vietnamese family to settle in St. Louis, Missouri. During his junior high school years, Nguyen found "personal excellence" through martial arts, which he describes as "the first awakening of my soul." Following high school, he moved to Southern California to attend Orange Coast College, and at the suggestion of a friend, he took an acting class, or as he describes it "the second awakening of my soul." And the rest, as he puts it, "was a series of fateful events."

After making his professional debut on a special two-hour "Magnum P.I.," where he portrayed a young Cambodian freedom fighter, Nguyen went on to enjoy enormous popularity as "Suki" on "General Hospital." His breakthrough role, however, came when he was cast as "Detective Harry Ioki" in the new FOX network's flagship show "21 Jump Street," on which he starred for four seasons. It was here that Nguyen became the first primetime Asian heartthrob, and his official introduction to fame!

What is more to his liking is testing his limits on his Ducati motorcycle, or practicing his Muay Thai kickboxing. "You can't make a mistake doing 100 plus on a superbike, or when your opponent is trying to take your head off," Nguyen emphasizes. "For me, if you really want to know yourself, this is it. You can talk all day about techniques this and philosophy that, and it's nothing but an intellectual and theoretical mess! You've got to go out and DO."

When not out navigating hairpin turns on his bike at the track, Nguyen spends his spare time practicing several styles of martial arts. In addition to Muay Thai, he also trains in Tae Kwon Do, the Filipino-based styles of Kali and Escrima, and, most of all, Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do. Nguyen states that “martial arts always will be my way of life.” Nguyen's little known martial arts expertise was showcased when he starred in the Levi's Jeans' European "Hero" campaign, which expanded upon his ever-growing international profile. The campaign was uniquely groundbreaking in that it was the first time Levi's had used an Asian lead. For Nguyen, it offered the first opportunity to apply his love for the martial arts along with his dramatic training as he collaborated with director Jonathan Glazer (SEXY BEAST, BIRTH) on the fight choreography.

Nguyen and his wife, former model/actress Angela Rockwood-Nguyen, are also very involved with The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation. Several years ago, his wife was involved in a car accident that left her paralyzed, rendering her quadriplegic. Since then, they have worked closely with the foundation and are its ambassadors for The Paralysis Resource Center’s Minority Communities Outreach Campaign, which aims to increase awareness of and access to the PRC amongst minority communities in the US. On the business side, Nguyen has an exclusive custom silver jewelry line called IMPERIAL ROSE COLLECTIONS. Its unique and artistic designs are catching on with the in-crowd of Hollywood and Japan.

Dustin and his wife Angela live in Los Angeles.