Ke Huy Quan Explained

Ke Huy Quan
Birth Name:Quan Kế Huy
Birth Date:20 August 1971
Birth Place:Saigon, South Vietnam
Nationality:American
Alma Mater:University of Southern California
Awards:Full list
Spouse:Echo Quan
Yearsactive:1984–2002; 2021–present (acting)
2000–2004 (production assistant)
Module:
Child:yes
Order:ts
Qn:Quan Kế Huy[1]
T:關繼威[2]
S:关继威[3]
P:Guān Jìwēi
Y:Gwāan Gaiwāi

Ke Huy Quan (born August 20, 1971[4] [5]), also known as Jonathan Ke Quan, is an American actor. As a child actor, Quan rose to fame playing Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Data in The Goonies (1985). Following a few roles in the 1990s, he took a 19-year acting hiatus, during which he worked as a stunt choreographer and assistant director.

Quan returned to acting with the family adventure Finding ʻOhana (2021), followed by the critically acclaimed Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), a performance that won him various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Quan and Haing S. Ngor are the only two actors of Asian descent to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and Quan is the first Vietnam-born actor to win an Academy Award. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.[6] He has since starred in the second season of the Disney+ series Loki in 2023.

Early life

Quan Kế Huy was born in August 20, 1971 in Saigon, South Vietnam, into a family of Chinese descent, with eight siblings.[7] Three years after the end of the Vietnam war in 1975, Quan fled from Vietnam with his family.[8] He, along with his father and five siblings, fled to Hong Kong, while Quan's mother and three other siblings went to Malaysia.[9] After staying at a refugee camp in Hong Kong, Quan's entire family was admitted to the United States as part of the Refugee Admissions Program in 1979.[10] In the U.S., Quan grew up in California, where he attended the Mount Gleason Junior High School in Sunland-Tujunga, Los Angeles and Alhambra High School in Alhambra.[11]

Career

19841999: Child stardom

Quan became a child actor at age 12, starring as Harrison Ford's sidekick Short Round in the Steven Spielberg film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984.[12] The casting director auditioned a number of children at Castelar Elementary School, including Quan's younger brother.[13] He described the role as "one of the happiest times of my life". For his performance, he was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.[14] In 1985, Quan co-starred in The Goonies as a member of the eponymous group of children, the inventor Richard "Data" Wang. He played a pickpocket orphan in the 1986 Taiwanese movie It Takes a Thief. In 1987, he appeared in the Japanese movie Passengers with the Japanese idol singer Honda Minako. He played Sam on the short-lived TV series Together We Stand (1986–1987) and played Jasper Kwong in the sitcom Head of the Class from 1990 to 1991. In 1991 he starred in the movie Breathing Fire, and had a small role in Encino Man the following year. He played the starring role in the 1993 Mandarin-language Taiwan TV show Eunuch & Carpenter, which ran for forty episodes.[15] He also starred in the 1996 Hong Kong-Vietnam co-production Red Pirate. He studied Taekwondo under Philip Tan on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and later trained under Tao-liang Tan.[16]

20002020: Acting sabbatical and other work

As an adult, Quan found it difficult to find acting work in the United States. He eventually quit acting and enrolled in the film program at University of Southern California.[17] [18] During his time there, he edited a comedy horror short film titled Voodoo alongside his friend and fellow student Gregg Bishop, who directed the film. Voodoo won the Audience Award at the 2000 Slamdance Film Festival, and continues to be shown to USC students to this day.[19] After graduating from USC, Quan was asked by Corey Yuen to go to Toronto, Ontario, to help choreograph fighting sequences in X-Men (2000). For the next decade, he worked behind the scenes on various productions in Asia and the United States. He again helped Yuen as a stunt choreographer for The One (2001).[20] Quan worked as assistant director on Wong Kar-wai's 2046 (2004).

2021present: Return to acting and upcoming projects

Quan was inspired to return to acting following the success of Crazy Rich Asians in 2018.[21] That same year, the filmmaking duo Daniels began casting for their film Everything Everywhere All at Once. They struggled to cast an actor in the role of Waymond Wang, a character who would appear in three different incarnations of the film. 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. In January 2020, Quan was announced as a cast member of Everything Everywhere All at Once.[22] The film was released in March 2022 to overwhelming acclaim, with Quan's performance receiving near unanimous praise and media attention, eventually leading to him winning a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Academy Award for his role. The Screen Actors Guild Award win made him the first Asian man to win any individual category at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, with his win of the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role. He was the first Vietnamese-American actor to be nominated in that category.[23] [24] [25] [26] Quan is one of two actors of Asian descent to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the other being Haing S. Ngor in 1985,[27] and is the first Vietnam-born actor to win an Academy Award.[28] Everything Everywhere All at Once is also the most awarded film of all time.[29]

In 2019 he was cast in a supporting role in the Netflix film Finding ʻOhana, released in 2021.[30] Quan approached director Jude Weng after overhearing her describing the film as The Goonies meets Indiana Jones, in both of which Quan had appeared.[18] In February 2022, it was announced that he had joined the cast of the TV adaptation of American Born Chinese for Disney+, which was subsequently released in May 2023.[31] [32] In September 2022, Quan was announced to have joined the cast for the second season of the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Loki for Disney+, which premiered on October 6, 2023. For his performance he received a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series nomination.[33] [34] In June 2023, it was announced that he had been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as an actor.[35] On December 12, 2023, he joined the voice cast for Kung Fu Panda 4.[36]

Personal life

Quan is of Han Chinese ancestry from the Hoa ethnic minority group of Vietnam. He is fluent in English, Vietnamese, Cantonese, and Mandarin.[37] Quan is married to Echo Quan, who served as the on-set translator for Everything Everywhere All at Once,[38] and resides in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.[18] [17] Quan holds a second-degree black belt in taekwondo; he started taking classes after learning from a taekwondo instructor for his role in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. He remains close friends with his Goonies co-star Jeff Cohen, who is also Quan's entertainment lawyer and helped Quan negotiate his contract to star in Everything Everywhere All at Once.[13]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984Indiana Jones and the Temple of DoomShort Round
1985The GooniesRichard "Data" Wang
1986It Takes a ThiefLittle Guan
1987PassengerRick
1991Breathing FireCharlie Moore
1992Encino ManKim
1996Red PirateKwan Chia Chiang
2002Second Time AroundSing Wong
2021Finding ʻOhanaGeorge Phan
2022Everything Everywhere All at OnceWaymond WangAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
2024Kung Fu Panda 4Han (voice)[39]
2025With LoveMarvin GablePost-production[40]
The Electric StateDr. AmherstPost-production
Zootopia 2Gary (voice)In-production[41]

Other credits

YearTitleRole
2000X-MenAssistant fight choreographer, translator
2001The OneAssistant action choreography director
20042046Assistant director

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986–1987Together We Stand Sam Randall19 episodes
1990–1991Head of the ClassJasper KwongMain cast (seasons 4–5)
1991Tales from the Crypt JoshEpisode: "Undertaking Palor"
1993Eunuch & Carpenter Ba DajiaMain role; 40 episodes
2023American Born ChineseJamie Yao / Freddy Wong Main role[42]
LokiOuroboros "OB" / A.D. DougSeason 2
Main role

Awards and nominations

See main article: List of awards and nominations received by Ke Huy Quan.

In 2023, Quan won a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award, for Best Supporting Actor, for his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).[43] [44] He was the first Asian man to win any individual category at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for the same role, as well as the first Vietnamese-American actor to be nominated in the supporting category.

In 2023, an honoree by the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrant Award.[45]

See also

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2023-01-11 . Quan Kế Huy nhớ thời chật vật ở Hollywood . 2023-03-13 . . vi . February 8, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230208100030/https://vtv.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/dien-vien-goc-viet-quan-ke-huy-tu-bi-that-sung-thanh-nam-dien-vien-phu-xuat-sac-o-qua-cau-vang-20230111123336519.htm . live .
  2. Web site: 蕭采薇 . 獨／季芹17歲第一個緋聞對象是他！ 關繼威：看到她現在很幸福 . 2023-01-12 . . April 22, 2022 . zh-Hant . May 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220523202701/https://star.ettoday.net/news/2235921 . live .
  3. News: Jonathan Head, Tran Vo. 奥斯卡金像奖：越南为何不愿认可创下历史的关继威？. BBC. zh-Hans. 2023-03-18. March 18, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230318172033/https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/world-64973596. live.
  4. Ke Huy Quan . . . . July 15, 2024 . Actually, I was born in 1970. It's wrong on IMDB. . 3:59.
  5. News: Head . Jonathan . Vo . Tran . Why Vietnam doesn't want to claim Ke Huy Quan . 18 July 2024 . 15 March 2023.
  6. News: Time 100 . . April 13, 2023 . April 13, 2023 . April 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230413151502/https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2023/ . live .
  7. Web site: Emiko. Tamagawa. Actor Ke Huy Quan returns in front of the camera in 'Everything, Everywhere, All at Once'. WBUR-FM. April 8, 2022. March 14, 2023. April 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220424230804/https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2022/04/08/ke-huy-quan-acting. live.
  8. Web site: Ian. Youngs. Ke Huy Quan: From forgotten child star of Indiana Jones and The Goonies to Oscars hero. BBC. March 13, 2023. March 14, 2023. March 13, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230313232520/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64935656. live.
  9. Web site: Mike. Bedigan. Ke Huy Quan's triumphant return to the world of mainstream acting. Yahoo! News. March 13, 2023. March 14, 2023. March 14, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230314042328/https://uk.news.yahoo.com/ke-huy-quan-triumphant-return-044641067.html. live.
  10. Web site: Ann. Lee. 'I didn't have a single audition for a year': Goonies and Indiana Jones child star Ke Huy Quan on finding fame again. The Guardian. November 14, 2022. March 14, 2023. March 13, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230313233527/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/nov/14/ke-huy-quan-goonies-indiana-jones-asian-actors-everything-everywhere-all-at-once. live.
  11. Web site: Ke Huy Quan. Empire. March 14, 2023. December 19, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221219224526/https://www.empireonline.com/people/ke-huy-quan/. live.
  12. Web site: Canby, Vincent . Vincent Canby . May 23, 1984 . Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140512232547/https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D06E5DF173BF930A15756C0A962948260 . May 12, 2014 . April 18, 2020 . The New York Times.
  13. Web site: Bilge. Ebiri. Bilge Ebiri. In Another Life, Ke Huy Quan Was a Star. Vulture. March 11, 2022. March 14, 2023. April 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220424015727/https://www.vulture.com/article/ke-huy-quan-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-profile.html. live.
  14. Web site: 2009-02-11 . Past Saturn Awards . 2023-03-22 . September 6, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140906130320/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html . dead .
  15. Della Cai . Ke Huy Quan's True Hollywood Comeback . 2023-03-18 . Vanity Fair . 2022-12-06 . en . March 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230315210245/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/12/awards-insider-ke-huy-quans-true-hollywood-comeback . live .
  16. Web site: 10 reasons we still love The Goonies 25 years later. Nick Mamatas. December 14, 2012. Syfy Wire. December 10, 2017. January 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180109145022/http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/10_reasons_we_still_love_1. dead.
  17. News: Robert. Ito. Ke Huy Quan: From Short Round to Romantic Lead in Just Four Long Decades. The New York Times. April 5, 2022. March 14, 2023. 0362-4331. May 3, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220503085047/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/05/movies/ke-huy-quan-everything-everywhere.html. live.
  18. Web site: Collis . Clark . February 24, 2022 . What Short Round did next: The strange journeys of Ke Huy Quan . March 14, 2023 . . April 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220411184131/https://ew.com/movies/short-round-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-ke-huy-quan/ . live .
  19. Web site: Wampler . Scott . March 13, 2023 . Wanna See Oscar-Winner Ke Huy Quan's Award-Winning Horror Short, VOODOO? . March 14, 2023 . . March 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230313210947/https://www.fangoria.com/original/wanna-see-oscar-winner-ke-huy-quans-award-winning-horror-short-voodoo/ . live .
  20. Web site: August 8, 2015 . The kid from Indiana Jones: What does he look like now? . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150810070744/http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebrity-news/whatever-happened-to-the-kid-short-round-from-indiana-jones-and-the-temple-of-doom-301453 . August 10, 2015 . December 10, 2017 . .
  21. News: McEvoy . Colin . Oscar Frontrunner Ke Huy Quan Had Quit Acting for Good. Crazy Rich Asians Brought Him Back. . . March 8, 2023 . March 8, 2023 . March 8, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230308192844/https://www.biography.com/actors/a43236892/how-crazy-rich-asians-inspired-ken-huy-quan-return-to-acting . live .
  22. Web site: Fleming . Mike Jr. . January 23, 2020 . A24 Reunites With 'Swiss Army Man' Directors; Finance & Distribute AGBO's 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' . April 24, 2022 . Deadline . en-US . September 14, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210914222528/https://deadline.com/2020/01/a24-reunites-dan-kwan-daniel-scheinert-agbo-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-swiss-army-man-1202838566/ . live .
  23. Web site: "Look At Us Now": 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Cast Celebrates Asian Talent with SAG Awards win . Hilton . Dresden . . February 26, 2023 . February 27, 2023 . February 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230227142839/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-sag-award-best-cast-1235334970/ . live.
  24. Web site: Michelle Yeoh Makes History with SAG Awards win: "This is for Every Single Girl That Looks Like Me" . Carly . Thomas . . February 26, 2023 . February 27, 2023 . February 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230227142836/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/michelle-yeoh-first-asian-woman-best-actress-sag-award-1235334082/ . live.
  25. Web site: Ke Huy Quan Makes History with SAG Award win: "This Moment Belongs to Everyone Who Has Asked for Change" . Hilton . Dresden . . February 26, 2023 . February 27, 2023 . February 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230227040739/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2023-sag-awards-ke-huy-quan-wins-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-1235334969/ . live.
  26. Web site: Ke Huy Quan makes history with SAG award win for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'. Alli. Rosenbloom. February 27, 2023. CNN. March 1, 2023. March 1, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230301124923/https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/26/entertainment/ke-huy-quan-sag-award-2023/index.html. live.
  27. News: Ordaña. Michael. Phillips. Jevon. Here are the 2023 Oscar nominees. January 24, 2023. Los Angeles Times. January 24, 2023. January 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230124114217/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2023-01-24/oscars-nominations-2023-full-list. live.
  28. Web site: 'We're very proud': Ke Huy Quan's Oscar win is huge for Asian community, his family in Houston says. March 13, 2023. ABC13 Houston. March 20, 2023. March 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230320151424/https://abc13.com/ke-huy-quan-oscar-speech-best-supporting-actor-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-nominations-first-vietnam-born-in-history-to-win-an/12950364/. live.
  29. Web site: 2023-03-12 . 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Makes History as the Most-Awarded Film Ever . 2023-03-22 . Hypebeast . March 21, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230321020717/https://hypebeast.com/2023/3/a24-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-most-awarded-film-ever . live .
  30. Web site: Kroll. Justin. September 30, 2019. 'Young Sheldon' Director's Feature Debut 'Finding Ohana' Lands at Netflix (EXCLUSIVE). June 24, 2020. Variety. en. February 5, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210205090025/https://variety.com/2019/film/news/young-sheldon-director-jude-weng-finding-ohana-netflix-1203353669/. live.
  31. Web site: Otterson. Joe. February 7, 2022. Michelle Yeoh Among Eight Cast in Disney Plus Series 'American Born Chinese'. February 10, 2022. Variety. en-US. February 10, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220210043500/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/michelle-yeoh-american-born-chinese-disney-plus-1235173619/. live.
  32. Web site: 2023-02-18 . 'American Born Chinese': Release Date, Cast, Plot, and Everything You Need to Know . 2023-06-28 . Collider . en . June 21, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230621182523/https://collider.com/american-born-chinese-release-window-cast-plot/ . live .
  33. Web site: White. Peter. September 10, 2022. 'Loki': Ke Huy Quan Joins Season 2 of Marvel Series - Deadline. September 11, 2022. Deadline. en-US. September 10, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220910193631/https://deadline.com/2022/09/loki-ke-huy-quan-joins-season-2-marvel-series-1235114371/. live.
  34. Web site: Vary . Adam B. . Maas . Jennifer . 2023-05-16 . Marvel Sets Premiere Dates for 'Loki' Season 2, 'Echo' on Disney+ . 2023-06-28 . Variety . May 16, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230516224443/https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/loki-season-2-premiere-date-disney-plus-echo-1235615224/ . live .
  35. Web site: Sciences . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and . The Academy Invites 398 New Members for 2023: See the Full List . 2023-06-28 . A.frame . en . June 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230628183044/https://aframe.oscars.org/news/post/the-academy-new-members-2023-full-list . live .
  36. Web site: Sachdeva . Maanya . December 13, 2023 . Kung Fu Panda fans praise 'legendary' new villain as trailer for fourth film released . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231213201421/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/kung-fu-panda-4-trailer-cast-b2463500.html . December 13, 2023 . December 13, 2023 . The Independent.
  37. Web site: Ke Huy Quan News & Biography - Empire . 2023-02-03 . www.empireonline.com . December 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221219224526/https://www.empireonline.com/people/ke-huy-quan/ . live .
  38. Web site: Archived copy . March 15, 2023 . March 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230315181633/https://twitter.com/Daniels/status/1527693092622520320 . live .
  39. Web site: Gearan . Hannah . 2023-12-12 . Kung Fu Panda 4 Synopsis Revealed As Two Oscar-Winners Join Voice Cast . 2023-12-13 . ScreenRant . en . December 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231213201420/https://screenrant.com/kung-fu-panda-4-synopsis-cast-update/ . live .
  40. Web site: Grobar . Matt . 2024-01-04 . Ke Huy Quan Set For Uni Actioner 'With Love' From 87North . 2024-01-05 . Deadline . en . January 5, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240105133942/https://deadline.com/2024/01/ke-huy-quan-with-love-movie-universal-1235695293/ . live .
  41. Web site: Campione . Katie . August 9, 2024 . ‘Zootopia 2’: Ke Huy Quan Joins Cast Of Upcoming Animated Sequel . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240810070740/https://deadline.com/2024/08/zootopia-2-ke-huy-quan-cast-d23-1236036458/ . August 10, 2024 . August 10, 2024 . Collider.
  42. Web site: 'Shang-Chi's Michelle Yeoh & Destin Daniel Cretton Reunite For Disney+ Series 'American Born Chinese;' Chin Han, Yeo Yann Yann & Daniel Wu Also Star. Mike Jr.. Fleming. February 7, 2022. February 7, 2022. December 12, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221212180418/https://deadline.com/2022/02/shang-chi-michelle-yeoh-destin-daniel-cretton-american-born-chinese-disney-plus-series-chin-han-yeo-yann-yann-daniel-wu-also-star-1234927624/. live.
  43. Web site: Ke Huy Quan Golden Globes. Golden Globe Awards. Golden. Globes. December 12, 2022. December 12, 2022. December 12, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221212141144/https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/ke-huy-quan. live.
  44. Web site: Here are the 2023 Oscar nominees: live updates. Los Angeles Times. Michael. Ordoña. Jevon. Phillips. January 24, 2023. January 24, 2023. January 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230124114217/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2023-01-24/oscars-nominations-2023-full-list. live.
  45. Web site: 2023-06-28 . Pedro Pascal and World Bank's Ajay Banga among those named to Carnegie's 2023 Great Immigrants list . 2024-06-17 . AP News . en.

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