Ke Huy Quan has won the Oscar for best supporting actor for superhero comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once at the Academy awards in Los Angeles.
Long considered the favourite for the award, Quan triumphed over Judd Hirsch for The Fabelmans, and two of The Banshees of Inisherin’s cast, Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan. His Oscar win cements his place as one of Hollywood’s great comebacks: having appeared in 80s hits Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (as Short Round) and The Goonies (as Data), he was forced to quit acting for lack of opportunity in the 90s, and became a stunt choreographer and assistant director, before returning to acting in the 2020s.
Written and directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once features Quan as husband to Michelle Yeoh’s Chinese immigrant to the US who stumbles across a “multiverse” of alternate realities. Quan has previously won multiple awards for the role, including best supporting actor prizes at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice and Screen Actors Guild awards.
“Oh my God,” yelled a tearful Quan as he took to the stage amid a standing ovation.
“My mom is 84 years old and she’s at home watching. Mom, I just won an Oscar!”
He continued: “My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. Somehow I ended up on Hollywood’s biggest stage!
“They say stories like that only happen in the movies; I can’t believe it’s happening to me. This is the American dream!”
Quan closed by thanking his mother for “all the sacrifices”, his brother, David “for calling me to tell me to take care of myself every day – I love you, brother”.
He then dedicated the awards to “the love of my life” – his wife, Echo, who “month after month, year after year for 20 years told me one day my time will come. Dreams are something you have to believe in. I almost gave up on mine. To all of you out there – please keep your dreams alive.
“Thank you so much for welcoming me back. I love you. Thank you!