Jonathan Ke Quan
Jonathan Luke Ke Huy Quan (Chinese: 關繼威; Vietnamese: Quan Kế Huy; born August 20, 1971) is an American actor and stunt choreographer.[1] He is best known for his film appearances in the 1980s, portraying Data in The Goonies and Indiana Jones' sidekick Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.[2][3] He also co-starred as Jasper Kwong in the sitcom Head of the Class over two seasons from 1990 to 1991.
Jonathan Ke Quan | |
|---|---|
 Quan at Fan Expo Canada in 2019 | |
| Born | August 20, 1971 |
| Nationality | Vietnamese |
| Other names | Jonathan Ke Huy Quan |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Jonathan Ke Quan | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 關繼威 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 关继威 | ||||||
| |||||||
Early life
Quan was born in Saigon, South Vietnam (present-day Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) to Vietnamese parents of Chinese descent. He was forced to leave his country when the Army of the Republic of Vietnam was defeated during the Fall of Saigon. His family was selected for political asylum and emigrated to the United States as refugees.
Quan attended Mount Gleason Jr. High in Tujunga, California, and Alhambra High School in Alhambra, California. After high school, he graduated from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. He later attended the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom.[4]
Career
Quan became a child actor at age 12, starring as Harrison Ford's sidekick Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The casting director auditioned children at his elementary school, which also included his brother.[5]
In 1985, Quan co-starred in The Goonies as a member of the eponymous group of children, the inventor Richard "Data" Wang. He played a pickpocket orphan in the 1986 Taiwanese movie It Takes a Thief. In 1987, he appeared in the Japanese movie Passengers (Passenjā Sugisarishi Hibi) with the Japanese idol singer Honda Minako. He played Sam on the short-lived TV series Together We Stand (1986–1987) and played Jasper Kwong in the sitcom Head of the Class from 1990 to 1991. He also starred in the movie Breathing Fire (1991) and had a small role in Encino Man (1992). He played the starring role in the 1993 Mandarin language TV show The Big Eunuch and the Little Carpenter which ran for forty episodes. He also starred in the 1996 Hong Kong/Vietnam co-production Red Pirate. His last screen appearance until 2021 was in the 2002 Hong Kong movie Second Time Around alongside Ekin Cheng and Cecilia Cheung.
Having studied Taekwondo under Philip Tan on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Quan later trained under Tao-liang Tan.[6] He worked as a stunt choreographer for X-Men[7] and The One as the assistant of renowned Hong Kong fight choreographer Corey Yuen.[4]
In September 2019, Quan joined the cast for the Netflix film Finding ʻOhana from filmmaker Jude Weng.[8] The film will mark Quan's returning to acting since the release of Second Time Around in 2002. In January 2020, Ke Quan was announced as a cast member of the upcoming science fiction film Everything Everywhere All at Once.[9]
Personal life
Quan is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. He is of Han Chinese (Hoa) descent and has eight siblings.[5]
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | Short Round | Won – Young Artist Award American movie |
| 1985 | The Goonies | Richard "Data" Wang | American movie |
| 1986 | It Takes a Thief (糊塗妙賊小神偸) | Little Guan (小關) | Taiwan movie |
| 1987 | Passenger (パッセンジャー 過ぎ去りし日々) | Rick | Japanese movie |
| 1991 | Breathing Fire | Charlie Moore | American movie |
| 1992 | Encino Man | Kim | American movie |
| 1996 | Red Pirate (紅海盜/飛虎奇兵) | Kwan Chia Chiang (關家強) | Hong Kong movie |
| 2002 | Second Time Around (無限復活) | Sing Wong | Hong Kong movie |
| 2021 | Finding ʻOhana | George Phan | American movie |
| 2022 | Everything Everywhere All at Once | Post-production | |
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | Together We Stand | Sam | 19 episodes |
| 1991 | Head of the Class | Jasper Kwong | Main cast (seasons 4-5) |
| 1991 | Tales from the Crypt | Josh | Episode: "Undertaking Palor" |
| 1993 | The Big Eunuch and the Little Carpenter (大太監與小木匠) | Ba Dajia (巴大家) | Starring; TV series from Taiwan, 40 episodes |
References
- "Jonathan Ke Quan". Empire. August 22, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- Rothman, Michael (June 6, 2015). "'The Goonies' Turns 30: Where Are They Now?". ABC News. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
- Canby, Vincent (May 23, 1984). "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
- "The kid from Indiana Jones: What does he look like now?". Nowmagazine.co.uk. August 8, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
- Ke Huy Quan (Goonies, Temple of Doom) Niagara Falls Comic Con 2019 Q&A Panel, Convention Junkies, June 17, 2019, archived from the original on December 12, 2021, retrieved April 19, 2020
- Nick Mamatas (December 14, 2012). "10 reasons we still love The Goonies 25 years later". Syfy Wire. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
- "Jonathan Ke Quan". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. 2015. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014.
- Kroll, Justin (September 30, 2019). "'Young Sheldon' Director's Feature Debut 'Finding Ohana' Lands at Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- A24 Reunites With ‘Swiss Army Man’ Directors; Finance & Distribute AGBO’s ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’
Bibliography
- Holmstrom, John. The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995. Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 387.
