Kei Wei Kuan, who was forgotten by Hollywood for more than 30 years, is now winning everything at once in "Everything Everywhere All at Once", a 2022 blockbuster film that has received 11 Academy Award nominations.
GQ recommends watching the film, describing it as a lively family drama disguised as science fiction that will make you feel a range of emotions in a single scene, from thrill and laughter to screams, deep thoughts and tears.
What makes this movie a must-see is the fact that its protagonist, Kei Wei Kwan, is no longer a familiar face, yet the film has been continuously winning awards since its release.
Ki Wei Kwan:
A Vietnamese-born Chinese refugee, lucky at 12 years old, settled in downtown Los Angeles with his parents and 8 siblings in 1979. He never sought fame, but it found him during an acting audition where he surpassed 6,000 children to earn a role, becoming one of Hollywood's child stars only four years after arriving in America.
In 1984, director Steven Spielberg selected him to portray an orphaned Chinese boy alongside Harrison Ford in the Oscar-winning film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. He also co-starred in The Goonies, the seventh highest-grossing American film of 1985.
However, "Ke Huy Quan," the American-Chinese actor's phone has stopped ringing for over 30 years. He has had minimal coverage from Hollywood, apart from infrequent and brief appearances.
After experiencing a career dry spell and realizing the limited opportunities for Asians in Hollywood as he grew older, Kwan faced the harsh reality of burying his acting dreams and pursuing a career behind the camera, helping to design combat scenes in a few Hong Kong action films.
Unexpectedly, before accepting that his acting career was over and going bankrupt, he decided to give it another try after being offered a supporting role in a new film.
Despite the years of being away from the spotlight, Ke Huy Quan was excited to take on this new challenge. He poured his heart and soul into his role and delivered a performance that was praised by critics and audiences alike.
The success of the film led to more opportunities for Ke Huy Quan, and he quickly found himself back in demand in Hollywood. He went on to land several prominent roles in both film and television, and his talent and dedication to his craft earned him a reputation as one of the most respected actors in the industry.
Through it all, Ke Huy Quan remained humble and grounded, never forgetting his roots and the struggles he faced as a young refugee in America. He used his platform to advocate for greater representation of Asian actors in Hollywood, and he became a role model for countless aspiring actors and filmmakers.
Today, Ke Huy Quan continues to work in the entertainment industry, both in front of and behind the camera. He remains passionate about his craft and dedicated to using his talents to make a positive impact on the world.
Awards bring together the student and the teacher:
At the same ceremony where he reunited with Spielberg, who won Best Director for his latest film, Ke Huy Quan expressed his gratitude to the director who had discovered him nearly 40 years ago. "That's how I can look Spielberg in the eye and thank him for everything he has done for me. I hope to make you proud tonight," he said. Spielberg replied, "You made me proud when you were 12 years old."
Ke Huy Quan went on to make history by becoming the first Asian actor to win in the supporting actor category at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards after being nominated for the 76th British Academy Award (BAFTA).
In his latest film, Ke Huy Quan poured 25 years of pent-up passion into his performance, finally fulfilling his dearest dreams. Reflecting on his Oscar nomination, he told CBS News anchor Tracy Smith, "I never thought in my life that the word Oscar would be associated with my name. Life is full of ups and downs, and you won't know the sweet taste until you taste
He wasn't the first absentee, but he was the strangest returnee:
Before the screening of the movie "Everything.. Everywhere. All at once," Cowan was so broke that he lost his medical insurance. However, he found the role he had been waiting for in the film, which led to remarkable success and nominations for all major awards. In a television interview, he shared that standing in front of the camera for the first time in years made him feel alive. He added, "I thought everyone had forgotten me, but since the film came out, there has been a lot of positivity and kindness," according to the British newspaper "The Guardian."
Cowan grew up in a very traditional Chinese family and used to keep a lot of his feelings inside. However, hearing all the great comments from people about how much they missed him on screen made him emotional. "I've cried more in the past six months than in the last twenty years," he said.
Cowan is not the first nor the most famous star to return from an absence in Hollywood. Marlon Brando, Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, John Travolta, Matthew McConaughey, Eddie Murphy, and Jennifer Coolidge have also made comebacks. Alice Fisher of The Guardian says, "No matter how stupid we are, we can always return to the top."
Critic Rebecca Sun comments on Cowan's story and calls it "an indictment of Hollywood's imagination and creativity" for not giving a talented actor like Cowan the chance to shine for almost four decades.
It is a sad reality that Hollywood has a history of limiting opportunities for actors of color and non-white ethnicities. While progress has been made in recent years, there is still a long way to go in terms of inclusivity and diversity.
Kwan's success serves as a reminder that talent can come from anywhere and that it is never too late to shine. As he said in an interview, "I'm just glad that at my age, I can still contribute something to the film industry, and I'm not just sitting around waiting to die."
Hopefully, the success of actors like Kwan will inspire Hollywood to continue to expand its horizons and offer opportunities to all talented actors, regardless of their background. Only then can we truly say that Hollywood is a place where anyone can make it big.
