Ke Huy Quan reflects on the production of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, recalling that he met both Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher when they visited the set during the film's shoot in London. The actor portrayed Harison Ford's iconic archaeologist's young ally, Short Round, in George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's second Indiana Jones adventure. Quan made his return to acting in Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert's 2022 multiversal comedy-drama Everything Everywhere All at Once, where he portrayed Waymond Wang, the husband to Michelle Yeoh's overwhelmed laundromat owner Evelyn Quan Wang, as well as the many alternative universe versions of Waymond seen across the film.
When he sat down with Josh Horrowitz of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Quan was asked about his experiences working alongside Spielberg, Lucas, and Ford when filming Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. When recalling his time on set in London, Quan explained that he and Ford were joined one afternoon by two actors he didn't recognize but would soon learn were none other than Ford's Star Wars castmates Hamill and Fisher when Lucas screened Star Wars: A New Hope later on. Check out Quan's full recollection below:
"There was one day, you know, we shot the majority of the movie in London at Elstree Studios, and one day two grown-ups came to visit us, and I didn't even know who they were at that time. And it was Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, and we just spent an entire afternoon together, it was not until after the movie when they showed me, when George Lucas screened Star Wars to me that I realized "Oh my God, that one afternoon I was having so much fun with Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia!".c I mean that was the entire- You know, those memories that I had of that shoot was that, and it was just so wonderful and amazing, and joyful."
Ke Huy Quan's Resurgence Explained
Quan's appearance as Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was followed by his having a key role in The Goonies as Richard "Data" Wang, the group's inventor, as well as acting alongside Brendan Fraser in Encino Man and several TV roles. However, Quan would retire from acting as an adult, revealing in 2022 that he stepped away from being an on-screen presence after finding it difficult to find work in the United States. However, upon seeing the success of Crazy Rich Asians, the actor was inspired to step back into acting, with Quan impressing the Daniels during his audition for the role of Waymond in Everything Everywhere All At Once after receiving the calls two weeks after he decided to return to acting.
Quan's performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once received widespread acclaim and attention, and the actor's career resurgence is set to continue into 2022 and beyond. Following a heartfelt reunion with his Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom co-star, it was confirmed at D23 2022 that Quan will join Loki season 2 after receiving a call from Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige following his appearance in EEAaO, where he will portray a currently unnamed archivist for the TVA and star alongside Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson. Quan is also set to portray Freddy Wong in American Born Chinese, a television series adaptation of Gene Luen Yang's graphic novel for Disney+. Quan has also been cast in The Electric State, Joe and Anthony Russo's upcoming sci-fi adventure film.
Both audiences and figures within the film industry have welcomed Quan's return to acting. The actor received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Everything Everywhere All At One during the 2023 ceremony. As such, audiences anticipate what projects the actor will star in, with many voicing their desire to see Quan reprise the role of Short Round in a series that explores the character's adventures beyond Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. As such, viewers who grew up watching the actor's adventures alongside Ford will surely be surprised and enjoy his tales about meeting the two actors who portrayed the close friends of Ford's other iconic role without realizing who they are.
Source: Happy Sad Confused