From Child Star to Golden Globe Winner and Possibly Oscar Winner: the Story of Ke Huy Quan

Before he received a Golden Globe and recently an Oscar nomination at age 51 for his film Everything Everywhere All at Once, he was a young child starlet starring in Steven Speilberg's films Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies during the 1980s. Vietnamese-born Ke Huy Quan started out acting at age 12 starring in Speilberg films until 2001 he retired from acting. In 2021, he returned to acting portraying the role of Waymond Wang in Everything Everywhere All At Once receiving positive reviews and winning many accolades including a Golden Globe.

The Story of Ke Huy Quan

Born as Jonathan Ke Huy Quan was born on August 20, 1971, in Saigon, South Vietnam. In 1978, when Quan was seven years old, his family fled Vietnam. He, his father, and five siblings arrived in a refugee camp in Hong Kong, while his mother and three other siblings fled to Malaysia. His whole family emigrated to the United States in 1979.

His Debut

Quan started auditioning for the role after a casting director was looking for a young boy as Short Round, Indiana Jones's sidekick. The audition took place at Castelar Elementary School where he and his younger brother both auditioned. The casting director and Speilberg find interest in Quan and gave him the part.

The film became a hit and made Quan a star.

In 1985, he landed the role as Data in the film the Goonies which became another hit compared to Speilberg's film.

After Goonies, he continued on films and tv shows like It Takes a Thief, Passengers, Together We Stand, Head of the Class, Breathing Fire, and Encino Man.

Until he transition him into adult, he had a hard time finding more gigs which caused him to quit.

"In my late teens and my early twenties, when it was extremely difficult for me to get a job, I never blamed anybody. I thought I was not good enough. I thought I was not tall enough. I thought I was not good-looking enough. I thought perhaps my acting wasn’t good enough, and that’s why I wasn’t landing these roles. And I was really young. I blamed myself. For the longest time, I wished I was better. Hollywood writers were just not writing roles for Asian actors. I didn’t think like that. I would always fantasize: “What would it be like for me to be in that role?” But of course, it never happened. Hollywood didn’t write roles like that for Asian actors. I didn’t know it then, so I just blamed myself."

Quan told Associated Press, December 8, 2022

Quan's Comeback

After retiring from acting, Quan graduated from Alhambra High School in Alhambra, California, and graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 1999. He produced and shot the multi-award-winning short film Voodoo, which was written and directed by his friend Gregg Bishop. The short film won several awards including the Audience Award at the Slamdance Film Festival and it is now screened at orientation for incoming USC film students along with the short films Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB by George Lucas and The Lift by Robert Zemeckis. He worked on as a stunt coordinator and assistant director. Until 2018, the hit film, Crazy Rich Asians, 2013 romantic comedy novel by Kevin Kwan inspired him to make a comeback.

Co-director Daniel Kwan stumbled upon Quan on Twitter. Two weeks after getting a talent agent, Quan received a call to audition for the film. He landed the role and was given another chance to the acting role.

"When I was auditioning for this movie, I prayed to get this role. I made a wish and it came true. I had my birthday in August and every year for the longest time, for as long as I live, every single year I’ve made a wish. This year I didn’t. I didn’t want to be greedy. I’ve already had everything I ever wanted as an actor with this amazing movie. Whatever happens, my dream has already come true. God, Buddha has already answered my prayer. Everything else is icing on the cake."

Associated Press, December 8, 2022

The film Everything Everywhere All at Once also starred Stephanie Hsu, Michelle Yeoh, James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Harry Shum Jr.

The film premiered at South by Southwest on March 11, 2022, and began a limited theatrical release in the United States on March 25, 2022, before a wide release by A24 on April 8, 2022. It was a commercial success, praising the cast and the crew, the story, and the theme of the film.

Fun Fact: Michelle Yeoh's role for was actually meant for martial arts actor Jackie Chan. Unfortunately, Chan didn't nab the role and was given to Yeoh and the script was rewritten.

The film received many accolades and award nominations. Quan picked up awards from the Gotham Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle and has been nominated for a Spirit Award. Quan also earned a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. Quan was emotional during his speech and got a chance to see director Steven Speilberg (The man that gave him his first acting gig that changed his life) .

After his Golden Globe win, he also received a Critics' Choice Movie Awards. Recently, Quan was nominated for Oscar for Best Supporting Actor along with his nominees: Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin), Brian Tyree Henry aka "PaperBoi" (Causeway), Judd Hirsch ( The Fabelmans), and Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin).

Seems things are getting better for Quan. Let's hope for the best for him. Congrats on his Oscar nomination.

Source

YouTube

Wikipedia

https://apnews.com/article/ke-huy-quan-interview-everything-everywhere-spielberg-ab2601e87b405370853ce1ab12bf5dc2

https://www.yahoo.com/news/goonies-star-ke-huy-quan-155258747.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFcHhTqfZB2yFY3C6PCuQdtQ1_7BgsFwwNuYVAyYy8gzN8Y3JRcPRJfxZ-6jKQYwc2cZgQxfXIF-fXf63R0G15ECk77x2jrajDCEeCILG6yQkrCMS1HS0PR0ojWuGutJlMxc9z9tDrKLCmEgg99M_iRkeewUjh7-ky7t8PW_Rlwc

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/sadness-short-round-ke-huy-quan-quit-hollywood/