Personal details
- Birth Date: 1970-08-20
- Height: 5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
- Birth Location: Saigon, Vietnam
- Professions: Actor, Stunts, Additional Crew
Ke Huy Quan, who some folks might still call Jonathan Ke Quan, has had one heck of a rollercoaster ride in Hollywood. Born in Vietnam, raised in the U.S., Chinese heritage—basically, the dude’s got layers. Most people first saw him as Short Round, the wisecracking kid sidekick in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” That was back in ’84, and then he popped up again as Data in “The Goonies” a year later. If you grew up in the ‘80s, those movies were basically required viewing, so he was kind of a big deal for a hot minute. After those blockbuster hits, he took a turn on TV, playing Jasper Kwong in “Head of the Class.” But Hollywood being what it is (read: not great for Asian actors back then), the roles just dried up. Instead of hanging around waiting for the phone to ring, Quan switched gears and went to USC to study film. Smart move, honestly. He spent years behind the scenes, working as a stunt coordinator and assistant director, just hustling and keeping his foot in the door. Then, out of nowhere, he made this insane comeback with “Everything Everywhere All at Once” in 2022. He played Waymond Wang—a sweet, kind of nerdy husband caught up in total multiverse chaos. People lost their minds over his performance. Critics loved him, fans loved him, and—boom—he snagged an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Talk about a comeback story.
So, here’s some wild backstory from the world of movie casting: Ke Huy Quan’s first big screen gig? “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” back in ’84. The way he landed the role of Short Round wasn’t your typical Hollywood fairy tale. Producers basically blasted a call out to every elementary school they could find, hunting for a young Asian actor. But Ke didn’t even show up to audition. He just tagged along with his brother, planning to hang out and, you know, cheer him on. Thing is, during his brother’s audition, Ke spent the whole time bossing him around—telling him what to do, what not to do. The casting director? Couldn’t look away. Steven Spielberg saw this and, let’s be real, he just vibed with Ke’s energy. Spielberg and Harrison Ford even cooked up an improvised scene where Short Round calls Indy out for cheating. Out of, like, 6,000 kids, Ke snagged the part. Wild, right?
Man, Jeff Cohen—he’ll always be my Goonies brother, no question. We’ve got this lifelong bond, you know? Honestly, who would’ve guessed that years after dodging booby traps together, he’d be the guy handling my contracts. Wild. My producer from Everything Everywhere All at Once told me this story that cracked me up: he never expected in a million years that to get me (Data) in his movie, he’d have to go through Chunk (Jeff). It’s just nuts, but also kind of perfect, right? Childhood chaos turning into adult business deals, like the Goonies never really ended. We all went our separate ways, but that connection? Still there, stronger than ever. I guess some friendships don’t fade—they just get stranger and a little more professional. But hey, if you need Data in your movie, better call Chunk. That’s just how it goes now.
August 20, 1970
5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
Konidela Ram Charan
Saigon, Vietnam
54 years old