Robert Downey Jr.'s co star sings praises of his warm behavior on set

Robert Downey Jr. has left his co-star Kieu Chinh impressed with his warm behavior on set of The Sympathizer.

Kieu opened up about their newly formed bond on the set of the HBO series, which is an "espionage thriller and cross-culture satire."

Kieu Chinh, who’s best-known for her role in The Joy Luck Club, said: "On the set, there's not much time to talk about our own stories, but we wouldn't miss any chance that we are together and able to share our feelings by a warm looking eye contact and giving a big hug, you know? Just to show our love and admiration for each other.”

She said they show each other how much they "admire and care for" one another while on set, revealing that "It's not because of our own personal feelings, but it helps for the character, it helps for the working relationship on set as well."

Kieu had already made a name for herself in Vietnam but had to escape the country when Saigon fell in 1975. The actress said that many scenes in the movie reminded her of her own experiences.

"Especially the scene of the last day of Saigon where the evacuation, the huge evacuation at the airport, we shot that in Thailand at night-time. All night, I feel my heart was beating and I’m not only acting as an actress but it’s like I relived my own experiences," she said.

She went on to recall how she left Vietnam, saying, "I had left Saigon, Vietnam, and I became a refugee. I left Saigon with nothing but clothes on my back and I came to America under the sponsorship of actress Tippi Hedren, the actress from Hitchcock’s movie The Birds.”

"My life story is quite long to discuss, but as an actor who came from a warzone country like Vietnam, I went through so much and there are some scenes in the story that are related to my own life," she added.

Kieu and Robert Downey Jr. star in The Sympathizer alongside Killing Eve star Sandra Oh. The first episode of the series aired on April 14.