In March, we could see Ke Huy Quan win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The former child star is up for the big award following widespread acclaim and several previous honors for playing Waymond Wang in the hit A24 movie Everything Everywhere All at Once. It's an incredible achievement for Quan, who first rose to fame as Harrison Ford's co-star in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Perhaps he was destined for stardom considering he was handpicked by Steven Spielberg to play Short Round after a long search to find the perfect child actor.
In a new chat with Deadline, Quan reflects on when he landed the role of Short Round. At that time, he had no acting experience, and the 12-year-old hadn't even been considering a job in show business. As luck would have it, he had tagged along with his brother to an audition, just there for support and not to personally try out for the role. However, the casting director saw potential in Quan and asked him to also read for the character. Once Spielberg saw the footage, he knew he found his Short Round.
"I didn't go looking to be an actor," Quan says. "I was just like a normal kid, going to school every day at my elementary school, 12 years old at that time. I immigrated here to Los Angeles in 1979, and four years later, as fate would have it, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas was looking for a Chinese kid to be Short Round. And they went everywhere looking for him. Couldn't find him, almost gave up the role, when they decided to have an open call in Chinatown, Los Angeles."
Quan continues, "My brother went to audition. I tagged along, and I was coaching him what to do behind the camera. The casting director saw me, and asked me if I'm interested in reading for him, and I said yes. The next day, we got that fateful call from Steven Spielberg's office."
Ke Huy Quan Is More Popular Than Ever
Fans have been very supportive of Quan's recent success with his comeback to acting. He has garnered great praise for Everything Everywhere All at Once, managing to win the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. Spielberg was also present at the Golden Globes, as he won Best Director for The Fabelmans. Quan has said how surreal it has been to be joining Spielberg, winning prestigious awards four decades after Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
"I love Steven Spielberg. I love this man with all my heart," Quan told Variety. "And after I gave my speech on the stage, I looked over to him, and he gave me a standing ovation. Can you believe it? I could not believe it. Here is the most successful director of all time. Gave me a standing ovation. And he gave me a lot. Gave me my first job. He's the reason why I fell in love with acting."
We'll find out if Quan wins the Oscar on March 12, 2023.