NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Ke Huy Quan is trying hard not to cry.
He鈥檚 been crying a lot lately. Quan tends to get emotional any time he contemplates his sudden reversal of fate. Every since 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once鈥� opened in theaters earlier this year, 51-year-old Quan 鈥� who a lifetime ago was the iconic child star of 鈥淚ndiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,鈥� as Short Round, and Data in 鈥淕oonies鈥� 鈥� has been, he says, 鈥渙verwhelmed by emotions every day.鈥�
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think this day would come. It was a day I wanted for so long, for decades. And it鈥檚 finally here,鈥� says Quan. 鈥淲hen you have a dream and you kind of bury it because you think it won鈥檛 come true, to see it finally come true is incredible.鈥�
鈥淚 cry a lot,鈥� he says.
Quan was once one of the most indelible faces 鈥� and voices 鈥� of the 1980s. He was 12 when he was cast as Harrison Ford鈥檚 Yankee-hat-wearing sidekick in 鈥淭emple of Doom.鈥� His younger brother, David, auditioned, but Ke caught Spielberg鈥檚 eye. Quan starred in 1985鈥瞫 鈥淕oonies,鈥� too, but found few roles after that. By the time Quan was in his 20s, he had all but disappeared from the screen. Struggling to find a foothold at a time when roles were scarce for Asian American actors, the Vietnamese-born Quan passed into 鈥淲here are they now?鈥� territory.
Quan gave up acting. He went back to school to study film at the University of Southern California and transitioned into working behind the camera. Twenty years passed before he acted again. But when Quan was 49, he decided to give it one last go. Two weeks later, he landed his role in 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once.鈥�
Now, Quan is not just a working actor again, with a string of upcoming roles, he鈥檚 being celebrated for one of the best performances of the year. He plays Waymond, the meek husband who transforms in the film鈥檚 spiraling multiverses into a fanny-pack-slinging hero and a debonair 鈥淚n the Mood for Love鈥�-style bachelor. Decades may have passed, but Quan鈥檚 sweetly sincere screen presence still shines.
The 51-year-old actor has already picked up awards from the Gotham Awards, the New York Film Critics Circle and has been nominated for a Spirit Award. After spending much of his adult life as an actor just looking for a second chance, Quan may be the favorite to win an Academy Award, for best supporting actor.
鈥淔or the longest time, all I wanted was just a job,鈥� Quan says. 鈥淛ust an opportunity to act, to show people what I can do. This movie, 鈥楨verything Everywhere All at Once,鈥� has given me so much beyond anything I could have ever asked for.鈥�
While speaking by Zoom during his day off shooting Anthony and Joe Russo鈥檚 鈥淓lectric State鈥� in Atlanta,鈥� Quan鈥檚 wife was nearby off-camera urging him: 鈥淒on鈥檛 cry! Don鈥檛 cry!鈥� Quan tried. But as he reflected on his extraordinary journey, he often found it difficult.
鈥淭here are so many people out there who doubt themselves, who have dreams they鈥檝e given up or didn鈥檛 think would ever come true,鈥� Quan said, his voice cracking. 鈥淭o those people, I hope my story inspires them.鈥�
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
