From child actor to Oscar winner, the Everything Everywhere All at Once star is living the dream.
From the moment Ariana DeBose choked up while announcing Ke Huy Quan as the Best Supporting Actor, it was an emotional event.
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Quan began his speech by mentioning his 84-year-old mother, saying “Mom! I just won an Oscar!”
“My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp,” Quan said. “Somehow, I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage.”
The actor’s career kicked off when he starred opposite Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom when he was just 12 years old.
For a long while it seemed like there were no more roles for Asian actors like him, so he decided to take a break from acting.
But his love for movies continued on. From being a fight choreographer on the set of X-Men to assistant director on Wong Kar Wai’s 2046, Quan never strayed too far from the industry.
His passion for acting was reignited upon seeing Crazy Rich Asians on the big screen. Quan realized that times were changing and it was possible that there could be new opportunities for him.
Two weeks after speaking to his agent friend, the role of Waymond Wang was presented to him.
“All those wonderful memories came flooding back and I was a kid again. I felt alive, and I was so happy,” he said, recalling his audition with the Daniels, directors of Everything Everywhere All at Once.
The actor continued his Oscars speech saying, “They say stories like this only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me. This—THIS—is the American dream.”
Ke Huy Quan makes his grand entrance into the press room holding his #Oscar. “Can you believe I’m holding one of these?” https://t.co/wgCluOYWZT pic.twitter.com/8z7eTyJ5AU
— Variety (@Variety) March 13, 2023
Quan also thanked his mother, his brother, the cast and crew of EEAAO, his “Goonies brother for life” Jeff Cohen, and his wife.
“Dreams are something you have to believe in. I almost gave up on mine. To all of you out there: please keep your dreams alive. Thank you so much for welcoming me back.”
Everything Everywhere All at Once sweeped at the 95th Academy Awards. The film won seven out of eleven nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director.
Banner image via Instagram @theacademy.
