History of Ke Huy Quan in Timeline

Ke Huy Quan, an American actor once known as Jonathan Ke Quan, is recognized for his iconic roles as Short Round in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and Data in "The Goonies" during his childhood. After acting in the 1990s, he shifted to stunt choreography and assistant directing for 19 years before returning to acting.

August 20, 1971: Birth of Ke Huy Quan

Ke Huy Quan was born on August 20, 1971, in Saigon, South Vietnam.

1975: Fleeing Vietnam

Three years after the Vietnam War ended, in 1975, Ke Huy Quan and his family fled Vietnam.

1979: Relocating to the United States

After staying in a refugee camp in Hong Kong, Ke Huy Quan and his family were admitted to the United States as refugees in 1979, settling in California.

1984: Breakthrough Role in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom"

At age 12, Ke Huy Quan rose to fame for his role as Short Round, Harrison Ford's sidekick, in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" in 1984.

1985: Starring Role in "The Goonies"

Ke Huy Quan furthered his acting career by co-starring as Richard "Data" Wang in the adventure comedy "The Goonies" in 1985.

1985: Historical Significance of Academy Award Win

Ke Huy Quan's Academy Award win in 1985, alongside Haing S. Ngor's win in the same category, marked a significant moment for Asian representation in Hollywood.

1986: Role in "It Takes a Thief"

Ke Huy Quan played a pickpocket orphan in the Taiwanese film "It Takes a Thief" in 1986.

1987: Appearance in Japanese Film and Television Series

Ke Huy Quan appeared in the Japanese film "Passengers" alongside Honda Minako and starred in the TV series "Together We Stand" in 1987.

1990: Role in Sitcom "Head of the Class"

Ke Huy Quan played Jasper Kwong in the sitcom "Head of the Class" from 1990 to 1991.

1991: Starring Role in "Breathing Fire"

Ke Huy Quan landed a starring role in the movie "Breathing Fire" in 1991.

1993: Lead Role in Taiwanese TV Show

Ke Huy Quan starred in the Mandarin-language Taiwanese TV show "Eunuch & Carpenter", which ran for forty episodes in 1993.

1996: Starring Role in "Red Pirate"

Ke Huy Quan starred in "Red Pirate", a Hong Kong-Vietnam co-production, in 1996.

2000: Transition to Behind-the-Scenes Work and Film School

Facing difficulty finding acting work, Ke Huy Quan enrolled in the film program at the University of Southern California, where he also worked as a stunt choreographer on "X-Men" in 2000.

2001: Stunt Choreography for "The One"

Ke Huy Quan continued his stunt choreography work, contributing to the film "The One" in 2001.

2004: Assistant Director on "2046"

Ke Huy Quan served as an assistant director on Wong Kar-wai's film "2046", released in 2004.

2018: Inspiration to Return to Acting

Inspired by the success of "Crazy Rich Asians", Ke Huy Quan decided to return to acting in 2018.

2019: Casting in "Finding 'Ohana"

Ke Huy Quan was cast in a supporting role in the Netflix film "Finding 'Ohana" in 2019.

January 2020: Casting in "Everything Everywhere All at Once"

Ke Huy Quan was officially announced as a cast member for "Everything Everywhere All at Once" in January 2020.

2021: Return to Acting with "Finding 'Ohana"

Ke Huy Quan returned to acting after a hiatus, starring in the family adventure film "Finding 'Ohana" in 2021.

2021: Release of "Finding 'Ohana"

The Netflix film "Finding 'Ohana", in which Ke Huy Quan had a supporting role, was released in 2021.

February 2022: Joining the Cast of "American Born Chinese"

It was announced in February 2022 that Ke Huy Quan had joined the cast of the Disney+ series "American Born Chinese".

March 2022: Release of "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and Critical Acclaim

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" was released in March 2022, garnering critical acclaim and significant attention for Ke Huy Quan's performance, which led to numerous awards.

September 2022: Joining the Cast of "Loki" Season Two

Ke Huy Quan's casting in the second season of "Loki" was announced in September 2022.

2022: Historic Win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards

Ke Huy Quan made history in 2022 by becoming the first Asian man to win an individual category at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, for his role in "Everything Everywhere All at Once".

2022: Critically Acclaimed Performance in "Everything Everywhere All at Once"

Ke Huy Quan received widespread critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, for his performance in "Everything Everywhere All at Once" in 2022.

May 2023: Release of "American Born Chinese"

The Disney+ series "American Born Chinese", featuring Ke Huy Quan, was released in May 2023.

June 2023: Invitation to Join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Ke Huy Quan was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in June 2023.

October 6, 2023: Premiere of "Loki" Season Two

The second season of the Marvel Cinematic Universe series "Loki", featuring Ke Huy Quan, premiered on Disney+ on October 6, 2023.

December 12, 2023: Joining the Voice Cast of "Kung Fu Panda 4"

Ke Huy Quan joined the voice cast for "Kung Fu Panda 4" on December 12, 2023.

2023: Recognition as One of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People and Continued Acting Success

In 2023, Ke Huy Quan was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People and continued his acting career with a role in the second season of the Disney+ series "Loki".

2023: Winning a Golden Globe and Academy Award

Ke Huy Quan won both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in "Everything Everywhere All at Once" in 2023.