Ke Huy Quan (or Jonathan Ke Quan) is an actor who first gained recognition for his appearances in films such as The Goonies and the Indiana Jones franchise, the latter of which he has said he would “absolutely” return to. He was born in Saigon, South Vietnam, but had to leave his country during the fall of Saigon, which ultimately led his family to seek political asylum in the USA.
Quan’s career began to slow down after his appearances in several films and TV series, however this would change when he was cast opposite acclaimed actress Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once, which saw his career resurge once more. The multiversal adventure film, which released earlier in April 2022, is being hailed with critical and commercial response. According to CBR, even Spider-Man actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, whose own multiversal film No Way Home made headlines just a few months ago, were in attendance at an Everything Everywhere All at Once screening. It effectively marks a sort of resurgence in Quan’s career. As such, here’s a look at his best performances, ranked.
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5 Together We Stand
Together We Stand is an American sitcom that aired briefly on the CBS network between 1986 and 1987 and was written by Stephen Sustarsic and directed by Andrew D. Weyman. The series centered around a married couple, David (Elliott Gould) and Lori Randall (Dee Wallace) and the different children they have adopted who all come from different backgrounds. The show was originally planned to be a spinoff to The Brady Bunch when it was first conceptualized. Quan plays Sam, who is one of the adopted children. The series is a relic of the 80s and is enjoyable viewing.
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MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
4 Finding ‘Ohana
Netflix
Finding ‘Ohana was released in 2021 and is a fantasy adventure film that marks Jude Weng’s directorial debut. The film’s cast includes: Kea Peahu, Alex Aiono, Lindsay Watson, Owen Vaccaro, and Kelly Hu. Premiering on Netflix, the plot focuses on New York-raised Hawaiian siblings Pili and Ioane “E”, who temporarily relocate from New York to Oahu with their mother Leilani to help her father, Kimo, whose health and financial issues are becoming serious. They learn about their Hawaiian heritage as they embark on a quest. Quan plays George Phan in a more mature role, but it’s a sweet throwback to style of film he was made famous for in The Goonies.
3 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Paramount Pictures
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 feature film that was directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second addition to the Indiana Jones franchise, with Harrison Ford reprising his role as the titular character. The film was a huge financial success; however, it received mixed reviews due to its adult content. Nonetheless, the film was nominated for two Oscars and was hailed as a visual masterpiece. Quan was cast as Short Round who was Indiana Jones’ sidekick who helps him with his quests. Quan remarked on how important the role became for representation in Hollywood.
2 The Goonies
Warner Bros. Pictures
The Goonies is a 1985 adventure film directed by Richard Donner and based on a story by Steven Spielberg. The film focuses on a group of children known as ‘The Goonies’, who live in Oregon and have to save their homes from foreclosure. While doing so, they discover a treasure map that takes them on da dangerous quest to recover the treasure. The film has gone on to become a cult classic and has often been replayed for generations after its release. Quan plays Data, who is a James Bond fanatic and tech enthusiast, and plays a crucial role in helping out the team.
1 Everything Everywhere All at Once
A24
In 2022, Ke Huy Quan experienced a career resurgence when he starred in Everything Everywhere All at Once. It’s a science-fiction action film written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. The plot follows a Chinese-American woman (Yeoh) being audited by the Internal Revenue Service, who discovers that she must connect with versions of herself from different parallel universes in order to prevent the destruction of them all by a powerful being. This presented a huge opportunity for Quan’s career to change as he took a break from the spotlight after feeling Asian actors were not represented in quality roles. He has since stated that he feels the climate has changed, and this is evident in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
