Winning for his role as husband Waymond Wang that never gave up on love in Everything Everywhere All At Once, Ke Huy Quan won his first Oscar Sunday night (March 12).
Through tears, Quan reminisced on his very long journey back to the front of the camera. His first onscreen role was as a child star in 1984’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom with Harrison Ford. “My journey started on a boat,” the Vietnamese actor said. “I spent a year in a refugee camp, and somehow, I ended up here, on Hollywood’s biggest stage.”
As we previously reported, the Goonies actor struggled to find onscreen work as an Asian-American actor for decades. He transitioned into stunt coordination and almost gave up on acting entirely before receiving the script for Everything Everywhere. But that’s all changed following the A24 film. Quan said in his speech, “They say stories like this only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me. This, this is the American dream!”
Quan concluded his tearful speech with some inspiration for those who are struggling to follow their dreams. “One day my time will come,” he said. “Dreams are something you have to believe in — I almost gave up on mine. To everyone out there, please keep your dreams alive!”
"Mom, I just won an Oscar!"
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 13, 2023
Ke Huy Quan's acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor hit us right in the feels. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/CzHuHU45Ip