Ke Huy Quan has perhaps the most inspiring story of any Oscar nominee in 2022. After starting out starring in two 80s classics – as Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and data The Goonies – his acting career came to an abrupt end. And while he never left the company, he instead found work behind the camera in various capacities, until a coincidence caused 2020 presidential nominee Andrew Yang to accidentally turn his life around without his knowledge.
With this precious story, we begin our conversation for this week’s edition of my deadline video series, The Actor’s Side.
Quan plays Waymond Wang in the Cinderella story at this year’s Oscars Everything, everywhere, all at once, which was nominated for a whopping 11 Oscars, including one for Quan for Best Supporting Actor. He has won a Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award and numerous other critics awards including NYFCC, LAFCA, National Society of Film Critics, and he also has two SAG nominations and one BAFTA nomination.
All this for a starring role that marked his return to acting – a role he kept secret from his family (except his wife and lawyer) until the day before the film’s trailer was released. His reason? Thinking that he might be fired in the first week, he decided to keep it quiet until he knew he couldn’t take it anymore. Fortunately, he was dead wrong and the proof is on the screen.
Quan’s story is remarkable, a textbook example of never giving up on your dream and now he is living it.
Click on the video above to watch our conversation.
Join me every Wednesday during Oscar season for a new episode of The Actor’s Side.
Source: Deadline
Ashley Root is an author and celebrity journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for all things celebrity, Ashley is always up-to-date on the latest gossip and trends in the world of entertainment.
