Ke Huy Quan lost his health insurance while waiting for the release of his award-winning comeback film

Actor Ke Huy Quan he will always be known for his roles in the beloved classics The Goonies AND Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, but his epic return to film last year looks like it could be his greatest achievement yet. The actor had stopped acting for a couple of decades, feeling that there were no great roles for Asian actors. But he was inspired by Michelle Yeoh, and decided to get back into the game. Meanwhile, at the same time he was contacting his agent, the directors Daniele Kwan AND Daniel Scheinertaka The Daniels, were building the cast for their sci-fi adventure film, Everything everywhere all at once, and they remembered Ke Huy Quan from his childhood acting concerts. They achieved his representation, and the rest is history.

Quan has now won Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for his performance in Everything everywhere all at once, and is nominated for an Oscar. But it was a pretty tough wait between making the film and getting here.

The film was shot in January 2020 and in March the industry shut down with the rest of the world and we didn’t get to see the film until March 2022. This two-year wait was difficult for Quan, who threw himself back into acting, but in the meantime he didn’t have the recent resume to find another job.

During a recent interview on The Late Late ShowQuan said he’s spent the pandemic “at home trying to stay safe like everyone else.” But he was also “so nervous” that no other acting offers were coming from his comeback role Everything Everywhere it was held up for release for so long. He explained:

“I was about to lose my health insurance. So, I called my agent and said, ‘Can you get me something please? It doesn’t matter, I just need a job to meet the minimum requirement so that I can be eligible for health insurance next year.’ And I could not find a single job. Sure enough, 2021 came and went [and I] i lost my health insurance.

After losing his health insurance, Quan realized that the rest of his career and livelihood depended on the strength of Everything everywhere all at once. She called a producer of the film and asked: “Can you tell me something? Am I good in the movie? When the producer asked why Quan would ask, the actor told him the truth: “Well, nobody wants to hire me.”

“[The producer said], ‘Ke, be patient. Just wait,’” Quan said. “The movie came out in March of last year and my life changed.”

Quan’s life has really changed. Not only is he an Oscar favorite, but he also has a new role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe courtesy of Loki Season 2. He previously spoke about getting the call from Kevin Feige himself.

He’s also reuniting with his co-star Michelle Yeoh on the Disney series Chinese born in America, and also stars in Russo Bros.’ ensemble action drama, The electrical state.

Whether or not Quan gets the Oscar next Sunday (I hope he does, and I think he will), he’s definitely proven that he has a place in Hollywood. I can’t wait to see what other projects he picks up.