At the 95th Academy Awards this year, Ke Huy Quan became the first Asian man ever to receive the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Although Quan began his acting career early in life as child actor, as he appeared alongside Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and also in The Goonies, Quan quit due to his realization that there were not many roles for Asian people within Hollywood.
It was only in 2021 that he took on the role of Waymond Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once, which has now won him his award. From a Hollywood perspective, the moment became even more significant when one realizes that Quan’s costar Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win Best Actress, making it the first time two Asian people have won in the actor categories the same year.
During his acceptance speech, Quan told the audience through his tears:
My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refuge camp. And somehow, I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage. They say stories like this only happen the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me. This — this is the American dream!
See Quan’s full acceptance speech below:
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