Ke Huy Quan, the Academy Award-winning actor, recently shared a heartwarming story about his experience working with Harrison Ford on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Quan recounted a moment during the filming of the mine cart chase scene where he was feeling scared and overwhelmed.
Quan, who was only 12 years old at the time, remembers Ford consoling him and offering words of reassurance. “He said, and I’ll never forget this, ‘Ke, I want you to remember, I will never hurt you,'” Quan shared. “When he said that, oh my gosh, it just made me love him so much more. Here is Indiana Jones telling me that he’s gonna take care of me.”
Quan has often spoken about the impact Ford has had on his life and career. Their paths crossed again in a remarkable full circle moment at the 2023 Oscars, where Ford presented the Best Picture award to Everything Everywhere All At Once, the film that earned Quan his Oscar.
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The two actors also had a heartwarming reunion at the D23 Expo a few months prior to the Oscars. Quan described the encounter to The New York Times, recounting how Ford recognized him instantly and greeted him with a hug.
“He turns and points his finger at me, and he has that classic, famous, grumpy Harrison Ford look,” Quan recalled. “But he looks and points at me and says, ‘Are you Short Round?’ Immediately, I was transported back to 1984, when I was a little kid, and I said, ‘Yes, Indy.’ And he said, ‘Come here,’ and gave me a big hug.”
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In addition to sharing this heartwarming story, Quan also discussed his love for the action genre, which he attributes to his experience working on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. He recalls being “blown away” by the film when he first saw it and credits it with sparking his passion for action movies.
