Ke Huy Quan has detailed a cutting encounter with an unnamed star at the 2023 SAG Awards in his new memoir.
The actor, 52, reveals in *Never Say Die* that a “well-known actor” he’d long admired mocked his expression in a selfie moments before Quan made history as the first Asian performer to win Best Supporting Actor at the ceremony. The exchange unfolded while Quan was posing for photos with fellow celebrities at the event, where he would later claim two trophies for *Everything Everywhere All at Once*.
“I spotted a well-known actor I’d respected for years standing right behind me,” Quan recalled in the book. “Without thinking too much about it, I asked if we could take a picture together. I held the phone out between us, angled it back toward our faces, and leaned in.”
Quan wrote that he “made one of my silly faces,” a casual gesture common in smartphone photos, but the other star responded with unexpected hostility.
“He looked at me for a beat, then said sharply, ‘Why did you make that stupid face?’ I laughed, a little surprised and not quite sure what to make of it,” Quan shared.
The unnamed actor pressed further with a dismissive prediction about Quan’s chances. “He shook his head and added, ‘You’re not going to win tonight with that stupid face’,” Quan wrote. The remark came quietly enough that surrounding guests appeared unaware. “No one else seemed to notice. We went our separate ways,” he noted.
Quan spotted the same performer seated “a few tables away” during the ceremony and attempted to put the slight out of mind. The prediction proved hollow when Quan’s name was called for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, followed by a shared win for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture alongside his *Everything Everywhere All at Once* colleagues.
“When my category came up, I wasn’t thinking about anything in particular,” Quan recalled. “Then my name was called. For a second, I didn’t move.”
The victory carried added weight given the earlier exchange. “Then I stood, that familiar disbelief rushing back in. I walked to the stage and accepted the award, feeling the weight of it settle into my hands,” he wrote. Quan added with quiet satisfaction: “I went back to my seat, holding the statue, and smiled to myself. I’d won with that stupid face. I wasn’t going to let someone else’s comment touch that night. It was too big for me.”
The 2023 SAG Awards marked a dramatic resurgence for Quan, who had stepped away from acting for roughly 19 years before his acclaimed turn as Waymond Wang in the Daniels’ multiverse film. He had first gained fame as a child star in *Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom* as Short Round and as Data in *The Goonies*, but found limited opportunities in Hollywood afterward.
During his acceptance speech that night, Quan acknowledged the milestone his win represented. “I recently was told that if I were to win tonight, I would become the very first Asian actor to win in this category,” he told the audience. “When I heard this, I quickly realized that this moment no longer belongs to just me, it also belongs to everyone who has asked for change.” He concluded by thanking supporters: “Thank you, everyone, for rooting for me; I will be rooting for you.”
The Oscar for Best Supporting Actor followed weeks later, cementing one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent Hollywood history.
Quan’s memoir *Never Say Die* arrives as he continues to capitalize on his renewed career momentum.