“Over the past few months, many people have come up to me and told me that our movie changed their life, and they start crying. That’s the most beautiful thing. If we can play a tiny little role in helping this world be a better place, everything is worth it.”
-Ke Huy Quan, episode 313 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Today, we sit with actor Ke Huy Quan! At the top, he reflects on the making of A24’s Everything Everywhere All At Once (5:40), growing up in Vietnam (9:10), and his family’s perilous journey to Los Angeles in the late seventies (11:20). Then, we walk through Ke’s breakout role in Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (15:35), his pivot from acting to stunt choreography (22:26), and working under the tutelage of director Wong Kar-wai (27:12).
On the back half, Ke describes how Crazy Rich Asians reawakened a childhood dream (35:12) leading to both his momentous return to the screen (37:08) and a full circle moment on the set of Everything Everywhere All At Once (41:42). To close, we discuss Ke’s remarkable second act and what’s to come (50:27).
-
-
Show-notes:
- See Ke in A24’s Everything Everywhere All At Once.
- Find his previous work, including Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies.
- Watch his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes.
- For more conversations, hear our talks with Jonathan Majors, Cate Blanchett, Pedro Pascal, Hiro Murai, Tessa Thompson, Kumail Nanjiani, Ethan Hawke, and Claire Foy.
- Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.
-
Original illustration by Krishna Shenoi. Reference image by Rich Fury.
Subscribe, rate, and review: Apple Podcasts and Spotify