- "The young boy in this movie, Ke, is one of the most amazing youngsters I've ever worked with in my life. He is just so responsive to the environment of the setting and of the other actors -- and he had never acted before."
- ―Steven Spielberg[src]
Ke Huy Quan (born August 20, 1971), also known as Jonathan Ke Quan, is a Vietnamese-American actor and stunt choreographer.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Quan was born Ke Hunh Quan in Saigon, South Vietnam, but was forced to leave his country when the Army of the Republic of Vietnam was defeated during the Fall of Saigon. His family was selected for political asylum and emigrated to the United States. He attended Alhambra High School in Alhambra, California. After high school, Quan graduated from the University of Southern California, the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He is fluent in Vietnamese, English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
Career[]
Quan appeared as a child actor in two popular films in the 1980s: as Data in the cult classic The Goonies, and as Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. During the filming of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, his family changed his name to Ke Huy Quan.
He then played Sam on the short-lived TV series Together We Stand (1986–1987) and played Jasper Kwong in the sitcom Head of the Class from 1989 to 1991. He also starred in the movie Breathing Fire (1991) and had a cameo in Encino Man (1992). He appeared onscreen in the 2002 Hong Kong movie, Second Time Around, alongside Ekin Cheng and Cecilia Cheung. After a 20-year break from acting, he starred with Michelle Yeoh in 2022’s Everything Everywhere All At Once, winning the Oscar for best supporting actor. He has also worked as a stunt choreographer for X-Men and The One.
