“The Sympathizer” is an epic about Vietnamese histories — plural.
The HBO series takes its title from the experience of a North Vietnamese spy known as the Captain (Hoa Xuande), who embeds in a South Vietnamese community in 1970s Los Angeles after the war. By the end, he has nearly lost his sense of himself after struggling to make sense of the infinite political ideologies held by his country’s people and the fact that none had put an end to human suffering.
That’s a lot to hold — too much, in fact, for one person. So casting director Jennifer Venditti, known best for crafting the ensembles of “Euphoria,” “Uncut Gems” and more, went on an eight-month worldwide journey to find actors whose overlapping performances, and personal histories, would add layers to the Captain’s journey.
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