Ke Huy Quan was one of the best-known child stars of the ’80s, having appeared in Steven Spielberg movies such as The Goonies and Indiana Jones 2 – officially titled Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Quan isn’t just a famous child star, though; his latest triumph is the 2022 A24 movie Everywhere, Everything All at Once. However, although his current work continues to shine brightly, that doesn’t mean we can’t all go down memory lane for some hilarious behind-the-scenes Indy stories.
During an interview with The Guardian, Quan shared how his mom almost blew his chances of starring in an Indiana Jones movie. While auditioning for the role of Short Round in Temple of Doom, Quan’s attire got in his way from shining in front of the legendary Spielberg.
“I remember doing a really bad job because my English comprehension was very minimal at that time,” the actor recalled. “The next day, we got a call from Spielberg’s office. My mum thought it was a really fancy meeting and put me in this ridiculous three-piece suit.”
“Steven noticed how uncomfortable I was,” Quan continued. “He said: ‘Ke, I would love for you to come back the next day, but wear something comfortable.’”
Thankfully, Quan, despite his wardrobe problems, got the part and became a fan-favourite character once the adventure movie hit the big screen. The role marked his debut in Hollywood and kickstarted a career in front of the camera.
Quan’s next big project will be the 2024 action movie The Electric State, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo of Marvel fame. For more banging picks, here is our list of the best family movies of all time.