Ke Huy Quan reverted to his birth name when he returned to acting as a tribute to his mum.
Ke Huy Quan ditched his Americanised stage name for his acting return
The former child star was previously known in Hollywood as Jonathan Ke Quan after adopting an Americanised moniker in a bid to land more parts but he decided to ditch his stage name when he returned to the spotlight after a 20-year break to star in 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' which won him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar at the Academy Awards on Sunday night (13.03.23).
Speaking backstage after his big win, 'The Goonies' star revealed why he had chosen to go back to his birth name. He explained: "You know, when I started as a kid, it was my birth name Ke Huy Quan. And then I remember, when it [the business] got really tough, my manager told me: ‘Maybe it would be easier if you were to have an American-sounding name.'
"And I was so desperate for a job that I would do anything. And it’s insane that I, at one point, would try a different name, not the name that was given to me, but it can only show you how desperate I was to try to make things different."
After deciding to return to acting, he landed the part in 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' which swept the board at the Oscars with seven wins - and he decided he wanted to be known under his real name as a tribute to his mother. It made his Oscar win even more poignant when presenter Ariana DeBose read out his birth name.
He went on: "The very first thing that I wanted to do was to go back to my birth-given name. Tonight to see Ariana [DeBose] open that envelope and say, ‘Ke Huy Quan,’ that was a really, really special moment for me.
"And then immediately I was so emotional, but the first image that I had in my mind was my mom - who is the reason why I am in America, who is the reason why I have a better life, I have all these opportunities. Like I said in my acceptance speech, she sacrificed so much. She had a great life where we came from, and she gave all that up so that all her children - there are nine of us - and every single one of them are so grateful to my parents."
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