Los Angeles: Ke Huy Quan had mostly disappeared from Hollywood for over two decades, dispirited by the lack of on-camera work for Asian Americans. He returned in a big way, winning the supporting actor Oscar to cap an inspiring comeback story.
Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan make #Oscars history as the first two Asian actors to win in the same year. pic.twitter.com/i0EXTr1wIv
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) March 13, 2023
Quan accepted the trophy Sunday night for his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once, becoming just the second Asian winner ever in the supporting actor category, joining Haing S. Ngor for The Killing Fields in 1984.
"Mom, I just won an Oscar!" Ke Huy Quan sobs as he accepts the #Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. https://t.co/ndiKiHfmID pic.twitter.com/92QIp3PRmS
— Variety (@Variety) March 13, 2023
Earning the first standing ovation of the night, Quan took the stage and shouted out his 84-year-old mother, who is watching at home. “Mom, I just won an Oscar!”
For Quan, the victory marks an especially emotional coda to awards season. He rose to fame before his teenage years, playing Harrison Ford’s sidekick in 1984’s “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and appearing in 1985’s “The Goonies.” But Quan quit acting shorty after because he found there weren’t many substantial film roles for Asian people. He didn’t return to acting until 2021 in “Everything Everywhere” as Waymond Wang, the goofy husband to Michelle Yeoh’s multiverse-straddling laundromat owner.
“My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refuge camp. And somehow, I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage,” he said through tears. “They say stories like this only happen the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me. This — this is the American dream!”
He’s been the toast of awards season, winning statues at the Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice and SAG Awards, in addition to landing his first Oscar nod. It’s a touching coincidence that he’s been able to traverse the awards circuit with Steven Spielberg, who worked with Quan on “Indiana Jones” and is nominated for directing the semi-autobiographical drama “The Fabelmans.”
“Dreams are something you have to believe in. I almost gave up on mine,” he said while fighting back tears. “To all of you out there, please keep your dream alive.”
Before exiting the stage, Quan expressed his gratitude to the Academy and Hollywood. “Thank you,” he said. “Thank you so much for welcoming me back.”
Quan was nominated alongside Judd Hirsch for “The Fabelmans,” Brendan Gleeson for “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Barry Keoghan for “The Banshees of Inisherin” and Bryan Tyree Henry for “Causeway.”
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