Oscar Nominee Tells of His 'Unbelievable Ride' Back to Acting

The actor Ke Huy Quan has traveled an often-changing path on his way to America's most important movie honors, the Academy Awards.

The 51-year-old was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the 2022 film, Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Few Oscar nominees¹ this year have gone as far to reach the Academy Awards as Quan. Born in Vietnam, he and his family fled that country in 1978. They settled in California.

As a child, he starred in two of the most popular films of the 1980s. Quan played the characters Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom² and Data in The Goonies.

But after this early success, Quan struggled to find work as an adult. The film industry had few parts for Asian-American actors. The actor went to film school, and later began working behind the camera. He left his dreams of acting³ in the past, mostly.

But Everything Everywhere All at Once changed it all for Quan. The movie leads the 2023 Academy Awards race with 11 Oscar nominations⁵. That includes the award for best picture. Quan is now living the dream he thought he had surrendered. The actor spoke⁶ recently with the Associated Press about the experience.

"When I heard the nomination⁴, I jumped up and I screamed so loud," he said. "It just seemed so far-fetched. Especially when I had to step away from acting for so many years, that dream seemed like it was dead."

Quan was thankful for the support. But he had been afraid about returning to acting.

"The last time they saw me up on the screen, I was a little kid. Now, I'm a middle-aged⁷ man," he said.

"Ever since our movie came out, they have shown me nothing but love and kindness," Quan said. "This has been a wild and unbelievable ride. I didn't expect any of this. But I do hope that my story inspires them to not give up on their dreams."

The Academy Awards will take place in Hollywood, California on March 12.

Words in This Story

scream – v. to shout or cry out

far-fetched – adj. to be unlikely to happen, not real or untrue

inspire – v. to make someone what to do something or to give them the idea that causes them to do or create something

screen – n. the flat area where movies are shown or that creates to see on a television or computer

1 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

2 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

3 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

4 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

5 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。