Don't miss out! We'll send a list to your inbox, once a day. Subscribe now!

Thank you!

We've just sent you an email with your subscription link. Click on it to confirm your request.

Subscription failed!

Sorry, there seems to be an error.
entertainment

From Refugee Camp To Oscar Winner: Here's Everything You Need To Know About Ke Huy Quan

"Dreams are something you have to believe in. I almost gave up on mine."

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Telegram for the latest stories and breaking news.

Ke Huy Quan left the world in tears with his touching speech after becoming the second Asian actor to win Best Supporting Actor at the recent Oscars

During his acceptance speech at the 95th Academy Awards, the actor dedicated his win to his 84-year-old mother who was watching from home.

"Mum, I just won an Oscar!" the 51-year-old belted from stage while sobbing.

"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," he added on, in reference to his comeback performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).

The star beat tough competition such as Barry Keoghan, Judd Hirsch, Brian Tyree Henry, and Brendan Gleeson to nab the award.

However, the actor's humble journey has been nothing short of amazing.

Here are some facts to know about Ke Huy Quan:

1. He moved from Vietnam to Hong Kong as a refugee, while his mum and siblings went to Malaysia

During his speech, Quan revealed that he spent a year in a refugee camp. When he was seven, he travelled on a cramped boat with 3,000 people from Vietnam to Hong Kong, while his mum and three siblings moved to Malaysia.

The family reunited later when they emigrated to the US in 1979.

"That was a really traumatic experience for me... We were refugees. Nobody wanted us… They would call us 'fresh off the boat'. They would make fun of us when we were in school. You can imagine what that does to the mental state of a child," Quan said during an interview with The Guardian last year.

Image via Flickering Myth

2. He started off as a child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and The Goonies (1985), but his acting career suddenly came to a halt

Although Quan felt very lucky to have been chosen for those films, he eventually stopped acting during the early 2000s and ventured behind the scenes for years instead.

As an Asian actor in Hollywood, Quan explained that he faced constant rejection and was often offered stereotypical roles, such as "the marginalised character or the person who shows up and gets killed".

Speaking to The Guardian, he shared that there was a year where he couldn't get a single audition, but he continued to press on regardless: "When you are hungry, you eat anything".

He eventually signed up for film school and buried his acting dreams.

Quan hugging co-actor Harrison Ford as a child and now.

Image via @enews (Twitter)

3. He has a background in martial arts

Quan worked as a stunt coordinator with Jet Li in The One (2001) and an assistant fight choreographer on X-Men (2000), during his years behind the scenes.

A video of him working with Hugh Jackman made its rounds on Twitter:

4. He named himself Jonathan to fit in

He changed his name to Jonathan Ke Quan during his early TV projects and films in an attempt to fit in.

However, he later went back to his birth name when he started acting again, as 'Jonathan' just "didn't quite feel right".

Image via Alchetron

5. Crazy Rich Asians (2018) inspired him to get back into acting

"I noticed Asian actors were getting more opportunities, and I began to harbour this dream of getting back into acting, but it took a lot of courage to give voice to that dream. One day I decided: if I don't do this, I will regret it," he said, during the interview.

"I remember watching that movie in a theatre three times. I cried every single time," he said, according to a report by BBC, adding that it was not just because it was such a beautiful movie, but that he also had serious FOMO (fear of missing out). 

"I wanted to be up there along with my fellow Asian actors."

Image via @kehuyquan (Instagram)

Well done, Ke Huy Quan!

Here's to never giving up on our dreams. :')

The recent Oscars also saw Michelle Yeoh's historic win of the Best Actress award:

Don't miss out on Malaysia's top stories!

We'll send a list to your inbox, once a day. Subscribe now!

Thank you!

We've just sent you an email with your subscription link. Click on it to confirm your request.

Subscription failed!

Sorry, there seems to be an error.

Leave a comment