This had to be the moment of the night for me. After quitting acting for 20 years, Ke Huy Quan was finally rewarded for his contribution to cinema history with his Best Supporting Actor win at the 2023 Golden Globes.
What a fantastic moment for every Indiana Jones and The Goonies fan.
Perhaps not a household name for everyone, but if you have had even the slightest interest in the Indiana Jones franchise or The Goonies movie, then you probably slightly recognized the now 51-year-old Ke Huy Quan. For those who don’t know why Huy Quan is so famous in certain entertainment circles, it is because he was Short Round, Indiana Jones’ best sidekick, in Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom and he was Data in The Goonies.
Personally, I like both of his most famous roles, but him as Short Round has to be my favorite. Not only does he give Indiana Jones a competent, funny, and smart character to play off in a movie defined by its strangeness and horror (it’s definitely the weirdest Indy movie in my opinion), but he also gives the movie a heart and soul that only a good child actor can pull off.
Kind of like how Dafne Keen made Logan the all-time classic superhero movie and the child actors of ET made that movie one of the most beloved films every created, Ke Huy Quan makes Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom as memorable as it is.
Unfortunately, those two roles served as his only two major inclusions in film making as he was essentially and wrongfully discarded out of Hollywood, thus forcing him to retire from acting in 2000. Yet, with the success of Crazy Rich Asians in 2020, Huy Quan decided to return to the acting world he loved and got the part as Waymond Wang for Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Yeah, the title is quite a mouthful, but so is the movie.
I’ve watched twice now, and I still don’t think I understand half of the concepts introduced in the film as they are so creative and unique. Sure, the “multiverse” isn’t an original idea by any means, but the way Everything Everywhere All At Once portrayed it was truly special as it showed the actual consequences and side effects on someone’s relationships, emotions, perceptions, etc. of entering into the multiverse.
Simply put, it was one of the best movies of the year and probably deserved to win the Best Musical or Comedy Motion Picture.
As for Huy Quan, he was outstanding as the time-travelling, dimensional saving Waymond Wang (and the two other versions of Waymond Wang he portrayed) as he didn’t miss a beat with any of his acting after sitting out for 20 years. You’d think he might be a little stiff or awkward on screen, but he really wasn’t as he clearly put in the best supporting performance of comedy or musical out of all the thousands of actors last year.
Though, like I said, the best part of the night was his acceptance speech as it was heartwarming to watch his excitement, joy, and humility ooze through. Instead of taking 6 hours on stage or insulting hardworking members of the Golden Globes staff (I’ll get to that in another article), he just stuck to thanking everyone who brought him to that moment and who gave him the chances he’s had in life.
Without a doubt, Ke Huy Quan is one of the most humble and authentic actors in Hollywood today, and I’m glad he’s finally getting the recognition he deserves.
Congratulations, Ke, you more than earned this award!
Images Source: Featured Image: (A24) (Everything Everywhere All At Once | Official Trailer HD | A24 – YouTube)
