Film fans are in awe after finally recognising Oscar-winning actor Ke Huy Quan for his past roles.
The 53-year-old actor has been making significant strides in the industry in recent times, notably with his compelling performance in the 2022 sci-fi action blockbuster, Everything Everywhere All At Once. His riveting portrayal earned him the prestigious Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
As the awards season unfolded, many fans made the connection that Quan was the same child actor who delighted audiences in the 1984 adventure classic, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. However, some are only just putting two and two together.
Born in Vietnam before moving to the United States, Quan’s breakthrough role came at the tender age of 13 when he starred as Short Round, Harrison Ford’s sidekick in the Indiana Jones sequel.
His character’s charm played a crucial part in the film’s success, and he continued to win over audiences as Data in the hugely popular 1985 family adventure, The Goonies.
Despite his undeniable talent and star quality, Ke Huy Quan took a lengthy 19-year break from acting due to limited roles for Asian actors.
He remained involved in the industry, working as a stunt coordinator and assistant director on various film projects. It wasn’t until the success of Jon M Chu’s 2018 film adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians that he felt inspired to return to acting.
Ke Huy Quan’s standout performance in the sensational hit Everything Everywhere All At Once not only marked his exhilarating comeback but also thrust him back into the glare of stardom, where he’s able to continue displaying his prowess with many diverse and compelling portrayals.
In a recent Reddit forum discussion about Steven Spielberg’s unusual approach of nudging top-tier movie stars to forgo fixed salaries in favour of a profit-sharing model, the conversation also illuminated the famed director’s commendable treatment and care towards child actors in his productions.
Spielberg’s profit-share “gamble” is only ever proposed to well established, celebrity headliners; the unsung heroes of the screen and those for whom a steady income is non-negotiable receive appropriate compensation for their contributions.
One Reddit participant claimed: “I can’t find the specifics, but I read a story awhile back how Spielberg (and I think George Lucas) made sure that Ke Huy Quan had a very lucrative deal for doing Temple of Doom, when his family was fresh from Vietnam and they could’ve easily taken advantage of them.”
A flabbergasted reply soon followed: “Bro how am I JUST NOW realizing that was Shortround in Everything Everywhere All At Once WHAT??”
Another then replied: “Isn’t that fabulous? His comeback in the last few years has been something.”
And another fan said: “He was great in Loki too”, which prompted someone else to share: “Oh, most definitely. My dad literally just kept staring at him and said, ‘I know this guy from somewhere.’ When I told him it was Shortround he about fell out of his seat lol”.
In awe of Quan’s Hollywood comeback, one Reddit user added: “20 or so year hiatus from acting, comes back, wins an Academy Award and almost every other award for his comeback role.”
But another commentator suggested this was relatively common news: “I feel like there were lots of stories about KHQ’s career, and his return to acting, and then reuniting with Harrison Ford who looked at him, squinted, and said: ‘Short-Round?’ and then they hugged.”