Here’s Why Steven Spielberg Gave Ke Huy Quan a Standing Ovation
As the movie world embraces the incredible comeback story of Ke Huy Quan, nobody seems to be more thrilled than Steven Spielberg. Almost 40 years after giving Quan his breakout role in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Spielberg has turned into Quan’s biggest cheerleader on the awards season circuit. The lasting friendship of the actor-director tandem has now turned into a Hollywood ending of its own.
Ke Huy Quan played Short Round in ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’
When Quan was 12 years old, he accompanied his brother to an audition for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and could not imagine the U-turn his life was about to take. “I was coaching [my brother] on what to do behind the camera, and 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,” Quan told Deadline.
According to EW, finding someone to play Short Round had proven so difficult that the character was almost completely removed from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Quan suddenly found himself going toe-to-toe on screen with Harrison Ford, arguably the biggest star in the world in the wake of Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Spielberg captured Quan’s connection with the movie’s other major star, Kate Capshaw, for reasons that eventually became obvious. Spielberg married Capshaw in 1991 after first meeting her on the set of Temple of Doom opposite Quan.
Ke Huy Quan struggled to find roles after ‘The Goonies’
Spielberg brought Quan back the following year for The Goonies, which Spielberg co-wrote and executive produced. But even with the white-hot start to his acting career, Quan struggled to find work after his initial success. Quan ended up graduating from USC’s film school in the late 1990s and moving behind the camera, working on fight choreography for movies like X-Men, according to The New York Times.
Quan dreamt of a comeback, encouraged by the success of Crazy Rich Asians, which he considered a breakthrough for Asian actors, per GQ. After he picked up a new agent, they sent the very first project his way: Everything Everywhere All at Once. Rather than easing back into acting, Quan had to take on a series of different personas opposite Michelle Yeoh, who gave a career-defining performance of her own in the film.
But as Quan told Stephen Colbert, he had no idea that Everything Everywhere All at Once was going to change his life. During the Covid-related delay in the movie’s release, Quan couldn’t even get anyone in Hollywood to call him back about other roles. It wasn’t until Everything Everywhere All at Once opened to massive acclaim in the spring of 2022 that the radio silence from Hollywood ended.
Spielberg has championed Ke Huy Quan throughout awards season
In addition to soaking up love from critics and awards voters, Quan has had a series of public reunions with figures from his past. Quan took home the Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe earlier this year and was shocked to see Spielberg giving him a standing ovation off-camera. “The most successful director of all time gave me a standing ovation!” he told Variety after the event.
Per an interview with The Guardian, Quan explained that Spielberg has sent him a Christmas gift every year for nearly four decades. “He gave me my first job and, so many years later, he has not forgotten me,” he said. “Every time I needed help, he’s always there.”
Spielberg isn’t the only person from Quan’s past who is excited to see the comeback take shape. At the D23 Expo in Anaheim last September, Quan reunited with Harrison Ford, who can be hilariously gruff in interviews and public appearances. Ford lit up with glee upon seeing his former co-star and praised his performance. He also said in an interview with UPROXX that all the hype was “well deserved.”
What is Ke Huy Quan doing next?
With Quan once again back in the Hollywood spotlight, fresh offers have started to pour in. Quan plays an archivist in Loki’s sophomore season, premiering later this year. Per IMDb, Disney also picked him up for an appearance in the upcoming TV series American Born Chinese alongside Everything Everywhere All at Once co-stars Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, and James Hong.
Reenergized by the breakthrough, Quan has even said he’s very open to slipping back into Short Round’s shoes. Quan explained his excitement for the character on the Happy Sad Confused podcast (relayed by Variety): “If Disney or Lucasfilm ever come to me and say, ‘We want to do a Short Round spinoff,’ I’m there man!”
