A Conversation with Ke Huy Quan: From Refugee to Oscar Winner
In this intimate conversation, KE HUY QUAN shares his extraordinary journey from a refugee camp in Hong Kong to Hollywood's biggest stages. He reflects on the hardships he faced as a young immigrant, his rise to fame as a child actor, and the incredible resilience that carried him through his career and personal life. Quan discusses the evolution of his career, his decision to step away from acting, and his remarkable return to the screen in Everything Everywhere All at Once. This engaging session offers a rare glimpse into the heart and mind of one of Hollywood’s most aspirational figures.
AAPI Representation in Hollywood
Academy Award winner KE HUY QUAN is a passionate advocate for better representation of AAPI voices in Hollywood. In this thought-provoking session, he shares the importance of authentic storytelling, the impact of Everything Everywhere All at Once on the cultural landscape, and the progress still needed in the entertainment industry. Drawing from his own experiences, Quan discusses how AAPI representation can reshape narratives, inspire future generations, and break down barriers in an industry that has long been dominated by stereotypes.
After making his vivacious and commanding comeback to the entertainment arena, Academy Award-winner Ke Huy Quan has proven he is here to stay.
Ke stars in Disney’s highly anticipated animated feature ZOOTOPIA 2 where he joins cast as Gary De’Snake – the first reptile to appear in the franchise. A follow up to the first ZOOTOPIA film, which grossed over $1 billion and earned an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the sequel follows detectives Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) as they go undercover in new parts of the city to crack the case of a mysterious reptile. Ke’s arrival into the Disney Animation universe marks a major career milestone, expanding his reach to family audiences around the globe and securing his place in one of the studio’s most beloved modern franchises. ZOOPTOPIA 2 released theatrically on November 26th, 2025.
Recently, Ke made his anticipated debut in a leading role in LOVE HURTS for Universal and 87North, alongside Ariana DeBose and Daniel Wu. Directed by Jonathan Eusebio and produced by David Leitch and Kelly McCormick, LOVE HURTS follows Marvin Gable, an affable realtor who harbors a dark secret. His life is upended when he receives a mysterious crimson envelope, and he is thrust back into the world of crime lords and hitmen. He also appeared in the Russo Brothers’ THE ELECTRIC STATE for Netflix, based on the popular graphic novel of the same name and starring alongside Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown, which released on March 14, 2025.
On the television side, Ke can most recently be seen in the second season of the Emmy-nominated series LOKI for Disney+. Starring alongside Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson, Ke joined the ensemble as Ouroboros, a.k.a O.B, the TVA’s quirky-genius repairman. Ke’s scene-stealing performance earned him a Critics’ Choice Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. The series also earned four total Critics Choice Awards nominations for its sophomore season including Best Drama Series. Previously, he appeared in the Disney+ series AMERICAN BORN CHINESE as series regular ‘Freddy Wong,’ opposite Daniel Wu and Michelle Yeoh. AMERICAN BORN CHINESE premiered as one of the most watched series in May 2023, accumulating over 12 million viewers worldwide.
Ke returned to acting full time in 2022, starring alongside Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Stephanie Hsu as the supporting role in A24’s critically acclaimed and award-winning cultural phenomenon EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE. Directed and written by Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, the film centers on an aging Chinese immigrant (Michelle Yeoh) who is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save what’s important to her by connecting with the lives she could have led in other universes. Ke plays Yeoh’s distanced, yet undeniably good-hearted husband, “Waymond”. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE made history as A24’s highest grossing film of all time, crossing $100 million at the global box office. Ke made an astounding impact on the 2022-2023 awards landscape with his performance. This performance garnered him an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Critics Choice Film Award, Independent Spirit Award, Hollywood Critics Association Award, and the Gotham Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance. Ke also made history being the first Asian male to win a SAG Award in the Best Supporting Actor Category for film. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE was the most decorated film at the 95th Oscars, with a staggering eleven nominations and seven wins, including Best Picture.
Ke’s first acting role was ‘Short Round’ directly opposite Harrison Ford and Kate Capshaw in Steven Spielberg and Paramount’s INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM. Following his feature debut, he went on to play “Data” opposite Josh Brolin, Martha Plimpton, and Sean Astin in the beloved Warner Bros’ adventure comedy, THE GOONIES, following a group of young misfits called “The Goonies” after they discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate's long-lost treasure.
Following the momentum of his early acting career, Ke took some time to work extensively on the development and directing side of multiple film projects in Asia, including several projects for filmmaker Wong Kar Wai. He has extensive martial arts training and has worked as a stunt choreographer for the X-MEN feature film and Columbia Pictures’ THE ONE.
Ke is trilingual and fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English and currently resides in Los Angeles.