Ke Huy Quan (or Jonathan Ke Quan) is an actor who first gained recognition for his appearances in films such as The Goonies and the IndianaJones franchise, which he said he would “absolutely” return to. He was born in Saigon, South Vietnam, but had to leave his country when Saigon fell, which eventually led his family to seek political asylum in the United States.
Quan’s career began to slow after his appearances in several movies and TV series, but that changed when he was cast alongside acclaimed actress Michelle Yeoh in Everything everywhere all at once, which saw his career resurgent once again. The multiversal adventure film, released earlier in April 2022, is being hailed by critical and commercial response. According to CBR, even Spider Man actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, whose own multiversal film No coming home made headlines just a few months ago, attended a Everything everywhere all at once screening. It effectively marks a sort of resurgence in Quan’s career. As such, here’s a look at his best performances, ranked.
5 Together we stand
Together we stand is an American sitcom that aired briefly on the CBS network between 1986 and 1987 and was written by Stephen Sustarsic and directed by Andrew D. Weyman. The series centered on a married couple, David (Elliott Gould) and Lori Randall (Dee Wallace) and the various children they adopted who all come from different backgrounds. The show was originally planned to be a spin-off from The Brady Group when it was first conceptualized. Quan plays Sam, who is one of the adopted children. The series is a relic of the 80s and is fun to watch.
4 Finding ‘Ohana
Finding ‘Ohana was released in 2021 and is a fantasy adventure film that marks Jude Weng’s directorial debut. The cast of the film includes: Kea Peahu, Alex Aiono, Lindsay Watson, Owen Vaccaro and Kelly Hu. Premiering on Netflix, the plot focuses on New York-raised Hawaiian siblings Pili and Ioane “E”, who temporarily relocate from New York to Oahu with their mother Leilani to help her father, Kimo, whose troubles health and finances become serious. They learn about their Hawaiian heritage as they embark on a quest. Quan plays George Phan in a more mature role, but it’s a sweet return to the style of film he was made famous for in The Goonies.
3 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 feature film directed by Steven Spielberg. This is the second addition to IndianaJones franchise, with Harrison Ford reprising his role as the titular character. The film was a huge financial success; however, it received mixed reviews due to its adult content. Nonetheless, the film was nominated for two Oscars and hailed as a visual masterpiece. Quan was cast as Short Round who was Indiana Jones’ sidekick who helps her in her quests. Quan commented on how important the role has become for representation in Hollywood.
2 The Goonies
The Goonies is a 1985 adventure film directed by Richard Donner and based on a story by Steven Spielberg. The film centers on a group of children known as “The Goonies”, who live in Oregon and must save their home from foreclosure. In doing so, they discover a treasure map that takes them on a dangerous quest to retrieve the treasure. The film became a cult classic and was often replayed for generations after its release. Quan plays Data, who is a James Bond fanatic and tech enthusiast, and plays a crucial role in helping the team.
1 Everything everywhere all at once
In 2022, Ke Huy Quan enjoyed a career resurgence when he starred in Everything everywhere all at once. It is a sci-fi action film written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. The plot follows a Chinese-American woman (Yeoh) audited by the Internal Revenue Service, who discovers that she must connect with versions of herself from different parallel universes in order to prevent their destruction by a powerful being. . This presented a huge opportunity for Quan’s career to change as he took a break from the spotlight after feeling that Asian actors were not portrayed in quality roles. He has since said he feels the climate has changed, and that is evident in Everything everywhere all at once.
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