This best-supporting actor used his Oscars speech to express gratitude to his refugee parents

In the wake of his Oscars victory for his role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Ke Huy Quan reflected on his family’s harrowing journey as refugees fleeing Vietnam, which eventually led him to Hollywood. In an interview with Variety following the ceremony, Quan, who won best-supporting actor, described how his parents made the difficult decision to leave Vietnam after the war. Quan admitted that, as a child, he didn’t understand the necessity of their departure. When he was just 7 years old, his father and five siblings escaped on a boat, eventually arriving in a Hong Kong refugee camp where they were surrounded by guards and police officers.

Quan, who made history as the second Asian actor to win in his Oscar category, revealed that his family spent a year in the refugee camp before they received political asylum and migrated to the United States. In his interview with Variety, Quan expressed his desire to publicly thank his family for their decision to flee, something he had been meaning to do for some time. Winning the Oscar provided him with the perfect platform to do so. “I grew up in a family where we just don’t share our emotions with each other,” he said. “Last night, I wanted to do that publicly. I wanted the world to know how much my parents meant to me. To do that on the biggest stage — that felt amazing.” Quan went on to say that shortly after his family’s arrival in the U.S., he landed the role of Short Round in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” which marked the beginning of his successful career in the entertainment industry.

Quan shared in his acceptance speech at the Oscars that his journey started on a boat and led him to Hollywood's biggest stage. He expressed disbelief at the realization that his story was the American dream, stating that such stories usually only happen in movies. The Oscars marked the end of a successful awards season for Quan's portrayal of Waymond Wang in "Everything Everywhere All at Once." He had previously made history by becoming the first Asian actor to win outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Additionally, he won the best supporting actor award at other prestigious events, including the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, and Gotham Awards.

Who is Ke Huy Quan?

Ke Huy Quan, born on August 20, 1971, in Saigon, South Vietnam, belonged to a family of Chinese descent with eight siblings. Following the capture of the South by North Vietnam in 1975, Quan's family fled the country in 1978. His father and five siblings escaped to Hong Kong, while his mother and three siblings went to Malaysia. After living in a refugee camp in Hong Kong, Quan's family was admitted to the United States under the Refugee Admissions Program in 1979. In California, Quan attended Mount Gleason Junior High School in Sunland-Tujunga, Los Angeles, and Alhambra High School in Alhambra. Later, he pursued a film degree from the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. While there, Quan produced, shot, and edited a comedy horror short film named "Voodoo" with fellow student Gregg Bishop, who directed it. "Voodoo" won the Audience Award at the 2000 Slamdance Film Festival and is still shown to USC students. After graduating in 1999, Quan worked as an assistant fight choreographer and assistant director on various films, including the 2000 superhero film "X-Men," where he collaborated with Hong Kong action choreographer Corey Yuen.