@Ke Huy quan in American Bron Chinese
Ke Huy Quan, the Saigon-born actor who won an Oscar for his supporting role in A24’s juggernaut film Everything Everywhere All at Once has signed up with the United Talent Agency (UTA) to represent him in future casting negotiations. He will continue to be represented by Cohen & Gardner and Narrative PR.
Quan emigrated to the U.S. as an eight-year-old after spending time at a refugee camp in Hong Kong; his family had fled Vietnam after the Communist takeover in 1975. When he was twelve, he appeared in his first film role, playing Harrison Ford’s sidekick Short Round in Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Over the next two years, he co-starred in The Goonies and also appeared in the Taiwanese film It Takes a Thief and in the Japanese movie Passengers.
As a teenager, Quan appeared in several television shows, including Together We Stand, the sitcom Head of the Class, in the Taiwanese and show Eunuch & Carpenter. Finding it difficult to snare roles as an adult, he took a hiatus from acting to enroll in the film program at the University of Southern California, editing Gregg Bishop’s short film Voodoo. that won the Audience Award at the 2000 Slamdance Film Festival. He also helped choreograph fight scenes in Corey Yuen’s 2000 film X-Men, and worked as an assistant director on Wong Kar-wai’s 2048, which premiered in 2004.
Inspired by the reception of Crazy Rich Asians, Quan decided to give acting another shot. He was “discovered” on Twitter by Everything… director Daniel Kwan, who cast him in the supporting role of Waymond Wong and his multiple incarnations. Universally praised by critics, the film grossed more than $100 million globally, making it A24’s most lucrative release of all time. Quan’s role won him many accolades: besides the Oscar, he became the first Asian male to win an individual film acting award from SAG. He also earned plaudits from the Golden Globes, as well as from the New York Film Critics Circle and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
Last week marked Quan’s debut in the Disney+ action comedy series American Born Chinese. In October, he will appear in Loki, also a Disney+ production, marking Quan’s introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The acclaimed actor will also be seen soon in Netflix’s The Electric State, a graphic-novel adaptation by the Russo brothers.
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