Như Quỳnh graduated in 1971 from the Vietnam Theatre School, today the University of Theatre and Film, Hanoi. Two years later, she acted as one of the two female leads in her first film, Bài ca ra trận (1973). Then with her role as Nết in Đến hẹn lại lên (1974), Như Quỳnh won the Best Actress Award at the 3rd Vietnam Film Festival in 1975. Her roles in a series of French co-productions, Indochine (1992), Cyclo (1995) and Vertical Ray of the Sun (2000) introduced her to a foreign audience.