Ke Huy Quan made history tonight.
Following Quan’s incredible awards season sweep, which included wins at the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and Critics Choice Awards, the actor added yet another to his collection tonight with his big Best Supporting Actor win for Everything Everywhere All At Once.
“My journey started on a boat. I spent a year at a refugee camp, and somehow I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage. They say stories like this only happen in the movies. I cannot believe this is happening to me. This is the American dream!”
The cast and crew of Everything Everywhere All At Once are making history from practically every angle at this year’s Academy Awards, leading the pack with 11 nominations. Quan’s award tonight is an especially important landmark in the Academy’s history, which has only nominated 23 actors of Asian descent since its inception in 1929 — with four ever actually having won.
Throughout this year’s award season, Quan has been vocal about his turbulent career in Hollywood, citing the lack of opportunities after his success as a child actor in films like The Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. With Everything Everywhere All At Once, Quan is seeing a well-deserved career resurrection, and his win tonight cements him as a force to be reckoned with, as well as hopefully signaling a shift in the Academy’s treatment of Asian actors and creators.
“Dreams are something you have to believe in. I almost gave up on mine. To all of you out there, please keep your dreams alive!”
Everything Everywhere All At Once is streaming on Paramount+ and Showtime.
