Ke Huy Quan: His Epic Comeback From Behind the Scenes to His Oscar Win
Ke Huy Quan is now celebrated as an Academy Award winner, but many may not realize he’s been a child actor since 1984. His career spanned decades, and his journey to being the first Vietnam-born actor to win an Oscar was not without hiccups.
Who is Ke Huy Quan?
Ke Huy Quan started his career when he was only 13 years old when he played Harrison Ford’s sidekick “Short Round” in the 1984 movie Indiana Jones and Temple of Doom. The year after that, he starred in The Goonies as Data Wang. He also starred in several Taiwanese and Japanese movies and TV series.
However, fate had other plans. He quit acting after “the opportunities got fewer, and the wait time longer. And the roles got smaller.” That is until 2022, when he won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in Everything Everywhere All At Once.
His Journey to Oscar Victory
Despite not being seen in front of the camera, Quan continued working in the industry as a production assistant after studying film at the University of Southern California. But in 2018, he got bitten by the acting bug again, after seeing the success of Crazy Rich Asians, per Biography.
He received a call to audition for the role of Waymond Wang, husband to Evelyn Wang (played by Michelle Yeoh) in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who struggled to cast the role, told Entertainment Weekly that they were immediately impressed by Quan despite the fact that he had not acted for decades.
According to Kwan, “He was the first person we auditioned for the role, and he became instantly our favorite because he is Waymond, he’s a sweetheart who is just full of joy, who just wants to play, who just wants to welcome you into that energy. That’s the person we imagined when we were writing this role.”
His Career Since His Oscar Win
Now, it seems Ke Huy Quan won’t have to worry about any serious FOMO or “fear of missing out” as he shared with Variety because after winning in 2022, roles have opened up for him. He has starred in the TV series American Born Chinese and Loki II and lent his voice to Kung Fu Panda 4.
Finally getting the recognition he worked for, Quan is set for his first starring role; he plays the lead in the action-comedy movie, Love Hurts. Directed by Jonathan Eusebio, Quan will play Marvin Gable, a former violent hitman whose past is catching up to him. People are genuinely happy for him, and as one fan (@capismycopilot9393) puts it, “Not only is this a leading role that Ke Huy Quan 100% deserves, it looks like this is an original movie! Not a remake, not a sequel, not a live action adaptation of an animated title. FINALLY”
Judging by the trailer, it’s going to be fun to watch. It’s the type of movie you’ll want to rewatch after a long day when you want pure entertainment.
Love Hurts is set to be released on February 7, 2025.