Ke Huy Quan: Thai-American Actor Beats The Odds At Oscars 2023

Ke Huy Quan, a Thai-born American actor, made history at the 2023 Oscars by becoming only the second Asian American actor to win the best-supporting-actor trophy. Quan’s Hollywood comeback story came full circle with his emotional acceptance speech, where he expressed his gratitude to his family, colleagues, and wife for their unwavering support. Quan beat the odds of Thailand’s Leading Bookmakers to take home the coveted award. The 2023 Oscars marked a watershed year for Asian actors, as they occupied several categories of the prestigious awards, highlighting the industry’s growing inclusivity and diversity.

The Nine Lives of Ke Huy Quan Acting Career 

While accepting the award for the best-supporting actor, Quan couldn’t help but reflect on his journey so far. He reflected on his youth when he once was a refugee with big dreams of making it to America’s biggest acting stage, Hollywood. This was his vision of the American dream. It didn’t take long for Quan’s acting abilities to be recognized. At the age of 12, he was already starring alongside Harrison Ford in blockbusters such as Indiana Jones and the temple of doom. He also had a significant role in The Goonies. Quan’s star was already shining brightly, and he had a promising acting career ahead of him. It was at this moment that things went wrong.

The young prodigy, Ke Huy Quan, faced a sharp decline in acting opportunities as he grew older, with roles becoming more infrequent and insignificant. Unfortunately, this happened just as he was preparing to transition into a full-time acting career upon graduating from high school. Despite his best efforts, Quan found it increasingly difficult to land any kind of acting gig, no matter how small or low-budget. His situation only worsened as time went on, and by the age of 23, he had all but given up on his dream and quit acting altogether.

Quan shifted his focus to filmmaking and enrolled in a Los Angeles community college, followed by film school at the University of Southern California. After graduating, he received an unexpected call from director Corey Yuen, who wanted to collaborate on a small film he was working on. The small film turned out to be X-Men. He worked as an assistant fight choreographer and assistant director on several projects that took him from America to Shanghai and Hong Kong. Quan is a man of many hats who has repeatedly reincarnated himself in the film industry.

The Big Break

For years, Ke Huy Quan had been content to work behind the camera. That all changed in 2018 when he saw the hit film Crazy Rich Asians. Something about the movie reignited his childhood dream of performing on the big screen. Quan was so moved by the film that he watched it three times, each time longing to be back in front of the camera. Shortly thereafter, he learned about an upcoming Asian film and decided to audition for the male lead role despite having been out of the casting scene for 25 years. Quan gave it his all and was enthusiastic about the role, but after not hearing back from the casting team for two months, his hopes began to wane. However, his wife encouraged him, assuring him that the role was written specifically for him. Eventually, Quan received a phone call that changed his life: he had been cast in the lead role for Everything Everywhere All at Once. “It was the happiest phone call I’d ever received,” Quan said.

Asian Actors Win Big at the Oscars in 2023

The 2023 Oscars proved to be a historic moment for Asian actors in the film industry. Ke Huy Quan’s victory in the Best Supporting Actor category was not the only recognition of Asian performers at the ceremony. Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy, and Michelle Yeoh were also nominated for their outstanding performances in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Hong Chau’s contribution to The Whale also earned her a nomination, while Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro received a nomination for the screenplay Living. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences celebrated Asian performers more than ever before, marking a watershed moment in their history.

In addition to the actors, director Daniel Kwan of Everything Everywhere All at Once also made history as one of only three Asian directors ever to be nominated for Best Screenwriter, Best Director, and Best Picture. Despite all of these impressive achievements, the standout moment of the evening was Ke Huy Quan’s emotional acceptance speech. His comeback story in Hollywood came full circle as he expressed his gratitude to his family, colleagues, and most importantly, his wife for her unwavering support. The 2023 Oscars will forever be remembered as a moment of triumph for Asian performers in the film industry.