Ke Huy Quan Kept His Dream Of Being An Actor Alive For 20 Years. And That Got Him An Oscar.
Keep Your Hope For Your Dream Alive.
He had experienced moments like this one many times before.
Sitting on that chair and waiting for the bomb to drop. Life-altering moments do have that intensity to them. The moment could cannonball him to a fantastic future beyond his imagination. But no matter the result, Ke Huy Quan always sat there and waited with a grateful smile.
The first time Ke had to make a life-altering decision was when he decided to step away from his dream job as an actor.
Having made his first screen presence at the age of 12 in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Ke had imagined continuing on this path. But with the lack of roles for Asian actors, Ke quit acting and worked as a production assistant and stunt choreographer.
He must have thought that was the end of his dream. But Life had other plans.
Watching the world, especially the US audience, enjoying the full Asian cast movie Crazy Rich Asians (2018), the dream of being an actor sprouted back up in Ke. Again, sitting in a chair, he realised he must give his dream another chance.
As if the Universe was having fun connecting the dots, a director duo, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (also known as the Daniels), were working on a science-fiction movie and were in the process of casting. They happen to chance upon a meme circulating the internet showing Ke's character from the Indiana Jones movie, Short Round, is all grown up and running for the presidency. That meme made the Daniels curious about Ke's whereabouts. Happily for them, Ke had just decided to come back into acting and was the right age to portray the male lead in their movie.
Rounds of auditions took place, and months of waiting were to be patiently endured. Ke knew that he wouldn't get the job. With Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis as fellow cast members, who in their right minds would give Ke a chance, an actor who hasn't had an acting job for 20 years.
But the call eventually came, and Ke got the part.
The movie was shot; that was a wonderful experience in and of itself. Then, in 2022, the movie was released, and it was overwhelmingly loved by everyone. Ke was noticed by the masses as well. His work got so much recognition from both the media and the public that he got nominated and won a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Now, sitting there with a grateful smile, Ke is at the 95th Academy Awards. The nominees of the category Best Supporting Actor rolls on the stage screen. "And the Oscar goes too," says the female presenter, actress Ariana DeBose. The envelope is opened, the presenter sees the name, gets emotional and, with her heart in her throat, announces, "Ke Huy Quan."
As naturally overwhelmed with joy and tears, Ke stood on one of the most prestigious stages in the world while the whole room cheered. Many artists even shed tears of joy alongside Ke. Yes, they cheered and cried happy tears for Ke. But it was more than that.
They cheered and cried for the fulfilment of the dream that a man held close to his heart. They cheered and cried for the 20 years this man kept the flame of his dream burning though no one saw it or admired it. They cheered and cried because that moment, with Ke standing with an Oscar in his hand, gave hope to everyone in the room and outside.
As his fellow castmate of the upcoming second season of Loki, Tom Hiddleston said in his The 100 Most Influential People of 2023 article for Ke Huy Quan, "His positivity—his fight to keep the dream alive—is the most profound kind of spiritual strength."
This is true.
Being a creative artist and keeping that dream alive does require profound spiritual strength.
The spiritual strength that makes no logical sense to you or to the world, but you know deep in your heart that your dream to become an artist (of any kind) needs to be nourished and fulfilled. That is who you are, and you must see it through.
Even if Life takes you in a different direction, know in your heart that everything is still working out in your favour and keep that dream of yours alive.
And one day, you'll be living it.
