Discrimination and lack of opportunities may have once again been the cause of someone not fulfilling their dreams. Fortunately, Ke Huy Quan held on to his goal and is now making history in Hollywood. On Sunday, February 26, Jonathan Ke Quan, the real name of the famous actor, became the first Asian to be crowned in the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ category at the SAG Awards for his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
With tears in his eyes, a quivering voice, and contagious emotion, Ke revealed that the reason he was away from acting for so long was that “there were so few opportunities” in the industry. For years, the famous actor worked as a stunt coordinator and assistant director until directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert convinced him to return to acting in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
“The landscape looks so different now than before,” he commented during his speech after receiving the award given by the Screen Actors Guild. These attitudes of rejection almost left us without the opportunity to see the talent of the 51-year-old actor come to life, who dedicated his award to those people who, like him, longed for a change.
On a traduit le discours beau à pleurer de Ke Huy Quan, lauréat du Golden Globe du meilleur acteur dans un second rôle pour "Everything Everywhere All at Once" ! 🥺 pic.twitter.com/YHqGN82SEN
— SensCritique (@SensCritique) January 11, 2023
“This is a very emotional moment for me. I was recently told that if I won tonight, I would become the first Asian actor to win in this category. When I heard this, I quickly realized that this moment no longer belongs to me alone. It also belongs to everyone who has called for change,” he emphasized.
Finally, Ke Huy Quan thanked the people who supported him and believed in everything he could achieve, not without reminding us that giving up on our dreams is not an option, especially when you feel compelled to do so just because you don’t ‘fit in’ to a society full of stereotypes.
“Thank you very much to all of you in this room and to all those who contributed to these changes (…) And finally, to all those at home, who are watching… waiting to be seen. Please keep going because the spotlight will find you someday.”
So before giving up on anything, try it, hold on, and think of those actors like Yalitza Aparicio, Tenoch Huerta, and Ke Huy Quan, who, while the whole world told them NO, they held on to what they loved most to prove that YES, it can be done.
Has Ke Huy Quan ‘Secured’ the Oscar’s Statuette?
With this award, Ke Huy Quan becomes one of the favorites to win in the same category, but now at the Oscars, which will take place on March 12th. Let’s not forget that for this same role, he received a Golden Globe, an event that is considered a precursor to the award given by the Academy to the best in cinema.
In addition, not only did Ke Huy Quan stand out at the SAG Awards for Everything Everywhere All at Once: Michelle Yeoh won ‘Best Actress’; Jamie Lee Curtis ‘Best Supporting Actress,’ and the film won the award for ‘Best Ensemble in a Film.’
Story originally published in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva.