Ke Huy Quan Returns to ‘The Goonies’ Set for the First Time in 36 Years: ‘I Got Emotional as Wonderful Memories Flooded Back’
Ke Huy Quan took a break from his continued “Everything Everywhere All at Once” awards tour to visit the Warner Bros. soundstage where he filmed scenes for “The Goonies” over three decades ago. It turned out to be an emotional reunion, as Quan revealed he had not been to the film’s set in the just-over 36 years since “The Goonies” first opened in theaters.
“First time back to Warner Brothers’ stage 16 in 36 years,” Quan wrote on Instagram. “This stage is where we filmed the pirate ship scene in ‘The Goonies.’ I got a bit emotional as all my wonderful memories of my Goonies Gang came flooding back. Fun trivia fact: the floor of this stage opens up and goes down 40 ft deep.”
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Quan starred in “The Goonies” as Richard “Data” Wang, an amateur gadgeteer with a love for James Bond. The role kept the actor’s child stardom burning bright just a year after his breakthrough in 1984’s “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” where he played Short Round. It was “Indiana Jones” director Steven Spielberg who secured Quan his role in “The Goonies.”
“I walked into Steven’s office, and he said: ‘Ke, I got you your next movie. It’s called ‘The Goonies’ and it’s about seven kids who go on an adventure. You will play Data, who is kind of like James Bond with all these amazing gadgets, but they never work unless your life depends on it,'” Quan told Yahoo earlier this year. “Sure enough, a few months later, I was on a set with six other kids seeing a full-sized pirate ship in front of us.”
While Quan’s roles as Short Round and Data have come under fire for perpetuating Asian stereotypes on screen, the actor has always said he is “grateful” to have played the parts.
“If you look back, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were the first ones to put an Asian kid in a big movie in a big role,” Quan said. “Over the years, so many people have come up to me and said: ‘I wanted to be you when I was growing up.’ Those characters are great. I mean, Short Round fricking saves Indy’s ass! And Data is one of the gang and has these amazing gadgets.”
Quan is currently a best supporting actor contender for the 2023 Oscars thanks to his role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” His performance has reignited his career, not just with Oscar buzz but also with a new role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a cast member of “Loki” Season 2.
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