Jonathan Ke Quan

Jonathan Ke Quan
Born Quan Kế Huy
August 20, 1971 (age 47)
Saigon, South Vietnam
(now Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
Residence Alhambra, California
Nationality Vietnamese, American
Other names Jonathan Ke Huy Quan
Education Alhambra High School
University of Southern California
Occupation Actor
Years active 1984–present
Spouse(s) Corinna

Jonathan Luke Ke Huy Quan (Vietnamese: Quan Kế Huy; Chinese: 關 繼 威; Cantonese: Gwāan Gaiwāi, Mandarin: Guān Jìwēi; born: August 20, 1971) is a Vietnamese-born American actor and stunt choreographer of Chinese descent.[1] He is best known for his appearances in the 1980s Steven Spielberg productions of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom[2] and The Goonies.[1]

Early life and career

Quan was born in Saigon, South Vietnam (present-day Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam). 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. He became a child actor at age 12, starring as Harrison Ford's sidekick Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. After being cast, his family changed his name to Ke Huy, the name by which he is credited in the film.

In 1985, he 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 1989 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 collaboration movie Red Pirate. He last appeared onscreen in the 2002 Hong Kong movie Second Time Around alongside Ekin Cheng and Cecilia Cheung.

Personal life

He 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.[3] He is fluent in Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, and English.

Having studied Taekwondo under Philip Tan on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, he later trained under Tao-liang Tan.[4] He worked as a stunt choreographer for X-Men[5] and The One as the assistant of renowned Hong Kong fight choreographer Corey Yuen.[3]

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
1989 Cousin Dave Stole the Cookie (偷走了) Adrianna 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
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1986Together We StandSam19 episodes
1991Head of the ClassJasper KwongSeason 5
1991Tales from the CryptJoshSeason 3 Episode 9
1993The 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

  1. 1 2 "Ke Huy Quan". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ Canby, Vincent (May 23, 1984). "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom". The New York Times.
  3. 1 2 "The kid from Indiana Jones: What does he look like now?". Nowmagazine.co.uk. 2015-08-08. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  4. ↑ Nick Mamatas (2012-12-14). "10 reasons we still love The Goonies 25 years later". Syfy Wire. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  5. ↑ "Jonathan Ke Quan". The New York Times.

Bibliography

  • Holmstrom, John. The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995. Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 387.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.