Indiana Jones star Harrison Ford revealed how he feels about Ke Huy Quan's Oscar nomination, having gotten to see the boy he knew on Temple of Doom become a man who is recognized by the industry he loves.
Everything Everywhere All At Once has taken home its fair share of Oscar nominations, including a Best Supporting Actor nod for Quan, who plays Evelyn's (Michelle Yeoh) husband, Waymond. The character helps introduce Evelyn to the idea of the multiverse, having first traversed its byways before her. The world has taken notice, including Quan's former Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom co-star, Ford.
At a recent press event for his new Apple TV Plus series with Jason Segel, Shrinking, Ford, everyone’s favorite cinematic adventurer, fielded the inevitable questions about his most famous character, Indiana Jones (and with a fifth and final movie coming this summer, no wonder why). However, these questions were focused on Ford's former co-star from Temple of Doom and how the actor felt about Ke Huy Quan's Oscar nomination. Ford, usually a somewhat taciturn man, was effusive. "I'm so happy for him. He's a great guy. He's a wonderful actor," Ford told Entertainment Tonight. "He was when he was a little kid, and he still is.” He finished by saying, “I'm glad. I'm very happy for him."
Back in 1984, the world was hungry for more Lucasfilm output, and the sequel to 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, known as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, was at the top of every kid’s summer wish list. Ford would return as the archaeologist he’d made famous (and would go on to play the character three more times), having just come fresh off his run as Han Solo in 1983’s Return of the Jedi. He was the go-to action star of every kid’s dreams during the decade, so Steven Spielberg and George Lucas gave him a pseudo-son sidekick, Short Round, played by then-newcomer Quan in a bit of casting that was itself almost by accident.
With Spielberg's help, Quan went on to star in The Goonies and eventually a sitcom before bowing out of the profession and turning toward the stunt side with his background in martial arts, which he would use to help choreograph the X-Men movies. After seeing Crazy Rich Asians and thinking that he would be able to re-enter Hollywood, which was now less racist than it had been during the 1980s, Quan contacted his agent, who sent him the script for Everything Everywhere All At Once, and the rest is history. Now, Quan is getting to tell everyone, including Doctor Jones, to hold onto their potatoes as his Oscar ship comes sailing in.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is available on Paramount Plus.
Source: Entertainment Tonight