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Ke Huy Quan

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Ke Huy Quan
Quan in 2018
Born (1971-08-20) August 20, 1971 (age 53)
Saigon, South Vietnam
NationalityAmerican
Other names
  • Jonathan Ke Quan
  • Jonathan Quan
Alma materUniversity of Southern California
Occupations
  • Actor
  • stunt choreographer
Years active1984–2002; 2021–present (acting)
2000–2004 (production assistant)
SpouseEcho Quan
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese關繼威 [1]
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinGuān Jìwēi
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationGwāan Gaiwāi
Vietnamese name
VietnameseQuan Kế Huy[2]

Ke Huy Quan (born August 20, 1971), also known as Jonathan Ke Quan (/kiːˈkwɑːn/), is an American actor. As a young actor, Quan played Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Data in The Goonies (1985). Quan also had starring roles in the sitcom Head of the Class (1991) and film Encino Man (1992).

After an almost 20-year hiatus, Quan returned to acting in 2021 in the critically acclaimed science fiction comedy-drama film Everything Everywhere All At Once. His performance was widely praised and won him many accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. 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.[3] Quan also became the first Vietnam-born actor to win an Oscar. With his win at the 2023 Screen Actors' Guild Awards, he became the first Asian man to win in the category of supporting actor for film.[4]

Early life and education

Quan was born on August 20, 1971,[5] in Saigon, South Vietnam.[6] His family are Hoa people (Vietnamese of Chinese descent).[7] Quan is one of nine children.[8]

In 1978, 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.[9][10] His whole family was admitted to the United States through the refugee resettlement program in 1979.[9]

Quan attended Mount Gleason Junior High School in Tujunga, California, and Alhambra High School in Alhambra, California.[11] Quan graduated from USC School of Cinematic Arts in 1999[9] where 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,[12] 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.[13][14]

After graduation, he worked with Hong Kong fight choreographer Corey Yuen on several projects.[10]

Career

Sean Astin, Quan, and Corey Feldman at The Goonies panel, 2019 Fan Expo Toronto

1984–1997: Career breakthrough with Indiana Jones

Quan became a child actor at age 12, starring as Harrison Ford's sidekick Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.[15] The casting director auditioned a number of children at Castelar Elementary School, including Quan's younger brother.[8][10] In 1985, he 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 (Passenjā Sugisarishi Hibi [ja]) 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 TV show The Big Eunuch and the Little Carpenter which ran for forty episodes.[1] 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]

1998–2018: Transition into film production

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.[6][9] After graduating from USC, Quan was asked by Corey Yuen to go to Toronto, Ontario, to help choreograph fighting sequences in X-Men (2000).[5][6][10] For the next decade, he worked behind the scenes on various productions in Asia and the United States.[10] He again helped Yuen as a stunt choreographer for The One (2001).[17] Quan worked as assistant director on Wong Kar-wai's 2046 (2004).[10]

2018–present: Return to acting

Quan was inspired to return to acting thanks to the success of 2018's Crazy Rich Asians.[18] That same year, filmmaking duo the 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 in the film. Co-director Daniel Kwan stumbled upon Quan on Twitter. Two weeks after getting a talent agent, the actor received a call to audition for the film.[9] In January 2020, Quan was announced as a cast member of Everything Everywhere All at Once.[19]

The film was released in March 2022 to overwhelming acclaim, with Quan's performance receiving 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.[20][21][22][23] In celebration of his Academy Awards win, he jumped on the engraving station in elation.[24] His wins from Everything's allowed him to reunite with Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford.[25]

In 2019 he was cast in a supporting role in the Netflix film Finding ʻOhana, released in 2021.[26] Quan approached director Jude Weng after overhearing her describing the film as The Goonies meets Indiana Jones, in both of which Quan had appeared.[9] In February 2022, it was announced that he had joined the cast of the TV adaptation of American Born Chinese for Disney+.[27] In September 2022, Quan was announced to have joined the cast for the second season of the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Loki for Disney+.[28]

Personal life

Quan is of Han Chinese ancestry from the Hoa ethnic minority group of Vietnam. He is fluent in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese.[29] Quan is married[9] to Echo Quan and resides in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.[6] He remains close friends with his Goonies co-star Jeff Cohen, who is also Quan's entertainment lawyer.[10]

Filmography

Film

Film acting work by Ke Huy Quan
Year Title Role Notes
1984 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Short Round
1985 The Goonies Richard "Data" Wang
1986 It Takes a Thief Little Guan
1987 Passenger Rick
1991 Breathing Fire Charlie Moore
1992 Encino Man Kim
1996 Red Pirate Kwan Chia Chiang
2002 Second Time Around Sing Wong
2021 Finding ʻOhana George Phan
2022 Everything Everywhere All at Once Waymond Wang Won an Oscar, SAG award, and Golden Globe
2024 The Electric State TBA Post-production

Other credits

Other film work by Ke Huy Quan
Year Title Role
2000 X-Men Assistant fight choreographer, translator
2001 The One Assistant
2004 2046 Assistant director

Television

Television work by Ke Huy Quan
Year Title Role Notes
1986–1987 Together We Stand Sam 19 episodes
1990–1991 Head of the Class Jasper Kwong Main cast (seasons 4–5)
1991 Tales from the Crypt Josh Episode: "Undertaking Palor"
1993 The Big Eunuch and the Little Carpenter Ba Dajia Main role; TV series from Taiwan, 40 episodes
2023 Loki TVA employee Season 2
2023 American Born Chinese Freddy Wong Upcoming series[30]

Awards and nominations

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).[31][32] Notably, 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.[20][21][22][23]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b 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". ETtoday (in Traditional Chinese). Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  2. ^ "Quan Kế Huy nhớ thời chật vật ở Hollywood". VTV (in Vietnamese). January 11, 2023. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  3. ^ Ordaña, Michael; Phillips, Jevon (January 24, 2023). "Here are the 2023 Oscar nominees". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  4. ^ Rosenbloom, Alli (February 27, 2023). "Ke Huy Quan makes history with SAG award win for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'". CNN. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Jonathan Ke Quan". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; February 26, 2015 suggested (help)
  6. ^ a b c d Ito, Robert (April 5, 2022). "Ke Huy Quan: From Short Round to Romantic Lead in Just Four Long Decades". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  7. ^ Tamagawa, Emiko (April 8, 2022). "Actor Ke Huy Quan returns in front of the camera in 'Everything, Everywhere, All at Once'". www.wbur.org. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Ke Huy Quan (Goonies, Temple of Doom) Niagara Falls Comic Con 2019 Q&A Panel, Convention Junkies, June 17, 2019, archived from the original on December 12, 2021, retrieved April 19, 2020
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Collis, Clark (February 24, 2022). "What Short Round did next: The strange journeys of Ke Huy Quan". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Ebiri, Bilge (March 11, 2022). "In Another Life, Ke Huy Quan Was a Star". Vulture. Archived from the original on April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  11. ^ "Jonathan Ke Quan". Empire. August 22, 2015. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  12. ^ "Slamdance Announces Winners". Film Threat. January 28, 2001. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2001.
  13. ^ "Making a $15,000 feature film". The Bitter Script Reader. February 22, 2011. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  14. ^ "Voodoo trivia". IMDB. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  15. ^ Canby, Vincent (May 23, 1984). "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  16. ^ Nick Mamatas (December 14, 2012). "10 reasons we still love The Goonies 25 years later". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on January 9, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  17. ^ "The kid from Indiana Jones: What does he look like now?". Now (1996–2019 magazine). August 8, 2015. Archived from the original on August 10, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
  18. ^ McEvoy, Colin (March 8, 2023). "Oscar Frontrunner Ke Huy Quan Had Quit Acting for Good. 'Crazy Rich Asians Brought Him Back". Biography.com. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  19. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 23, 2020). "A24 Reunites With 'Swiss Army Man' Directors; Finance & Distribute AGBO's 'Everything Everywhere All At Once'". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  20. ^ a b Dresden, Hilton (February 26, 2023). ""Look At Us Now": 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Cast Celebrates Asian Talent with SAG Awards win". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  21. ^ a b Thomas, Carly (February 26, 2023). "Michelle Yeoh Makes History with SAG Awards win: "This is for Every Single Girl That Looks Like Me"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  22. ^ a b Dresden, Hilton (February 26, 2023). "Ke Huy Quan Makes History with SAG Award win: "This Moment Belongs to Everyone Who Has Asked for Change"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  23. ^ a b Rosenbloom, Alli (February 27, 2023). "Ke Huy Quan makes history with SAG award win for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'". CNN. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  24. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  25. ^ https://www.npr.org/2023/02/27/1159291903/ke-huy-quan-everything-everywhere-all-at-once
  26. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 30, 2019). "'Young Sheldon' Director's Feature Debut 'Finding Ohana' Lands at Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  27. ^ Otterson, Joe (February 7, 2022). "Michelle Yeoh Among Eight Cast in Disney Plus Series 'American Born Chinese'". Variety. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  28. ^ White, Peter (September 10, 2022). "'Loki': Ke Huy Quan Joins Season 2 of Marvel Series - Deadline". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  29. ^ "Ke Huy Quan News & Biography - Empire". www.empireonline.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  30. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 7, 2022). "'Shang-Chi's Michelle Yeoh & Destin Daniel Cretton Reunite For Disney+ Series 'American Born Chinese;' Chin Han, Yeo Yann Yann & Daniel Wu Also Star". Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  31. ^ Globes, Golden (December 12, 2022). "Ke Huy Quan Golden Globes". Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  32. ^ Ordoña, Michael; Phillips, Jevon (January 24, 2023). "Here are the 2023 Oscar nominees: live updates". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.

Bibliography

  • Holmstrom, John. The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995. Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 387.
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