It was an emotional night at the 2023 Golden Globes, particularly for actor Ke Huy Quan. Quan won the award for best supporting actor for his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once – a win that many fans on social media felt he deserved. Quan’s acceptance speech was deeply emotional, and it clearly touched a lot of viewers at home.
Quan’s story has become a common talking point among movie fans in the last year, and a case study in the perils of child actors as well as systemic racism in Hollywood. Quan got his start as the character “Short Round” in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984, then played Data in The Goonies. He had a couple of other roles at the time, but eventually gave up on acting when he found it too hard to book more roles. In the last year or so, he has had a huge comeback with roles in Finding ‘Ohana, Everything Everywhere All at Once and Loki, with more to come.
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Quan’s obvious talent has led many fans to question his years of inactivity, and it has sparked a broader conversation. At the same time, his personal triumph has warmed many hearts, and that triumph came to a head on Tuesday night at the Golden Globes. Quan was on the verge of tears during his acceptance speech, and his passion was infectious.
“I was raised to never forget where I came from, and to always remember who gave me my first opportunity. I am so happy to see Steven Spielberg here tonight,” Quan said during the speech. “When I started my career as a child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, I felt so very lucky to have been chosen. As I grew older, I started to wonder if that was it, if that was just luck. For so many years, I was afraid I had nothing more to offer. No matter what I did, I would never surpass what I achieved as a kid. Thankfully, more than 30 years later, two guys thought of me. They remembered that kid, and they gave me an opportunity to try again.”
“Everything that has happened since has been unbelievable,” Quan went on. He thanked the co-directors of Everything Everywhere All at Once, saying: “Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, thank you so, so much for helping me find my answer. You have given me more than I could have ever hoped.” After thanking a few other people, he heaped praise onto his wife, Echo.
Quan’s genuine joy in this award and in his recent career comeback had fans sharing his emotions on social media. The fact that he has so much work still on the horizon only seemed to sweeten the feelings. Here’s a look at some of the top posts rooting for him.
Shared Tears
Many fans reported crying along with Quan at his emotional speech.
Time Off
One thing that made fans marvel at Quan was the fact that he had taken decades off from acting and still come back to it with such a jaw-dropping performance. They wondered how he had kept his talent sharp during that time.
Conflicted
The Golden Globes have become very controversial in recent years, so some fans were conflicted about rooting for Quan in this moment. Many also felt strange about seeing all of Hollywood cheer on Quan knowing that some people participated in excluding him for all those years.
Theme
Some viewers felt that Quan’s story followed a theme that persisted throughout the night – particularly in the speeches of Michelle Yeoh and Jennifer Coolidge.
Fresh Ideas
Eager to see Quan back on screen, some fans pitched new ideas for him before the award show was even over.
Celebration
With the emotional acceptance out of the way, many fans were eager to get the celebration underway. They were pleased to see that Quan was too.
The Streak Continues
Finally, many fans crossed their fingers that Quan’s winning streak would continue as award season heats up.
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