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Ke Huy Quan Realizes an Oscar Dream He Thought Was Dead

Ke Huy Quan arrives at the 2023 BAFTA Tea Party, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, in Los Angeles. (AP)
Ke Huy Quan arrives at the 2023 BAFTA Tea Party, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, in Los Angeles. (AP)
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Ke Huy Quan Realizes an Oscar Dream He Thought Was Dead

Ke Huy Quan arrives at the 2023 BAFTA Tea Party, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, in Los Angeles. (AP)
Ke Huy Quan arrives at the 2023 BAFTA Tea Party, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, in Los Angeles. (AP)

It's about an hour after Ke Huy Quan heard his name read as an Academy Award nominee for his performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” “Still processing” would be an understatement. “Still jumping for joy” would be more accurate.

“This is one of the happiest mornings I've ever had!” exclaims Quan.

Few Oscar nominees this year have had a more round-about way to reaching the Academy Awards than the 51-year-old Quan. After starring as a child in two of the most beloved films of the 1980s — as Short Round in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and Data in “The Goonies" — Quan struggled to find work in an industry where opportunities for Asian-American actors were few and far between. He eventually went to film school, began working beyond the camera and more or less abandoned his hopes of acting again.

Now, thanks to Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert's existential romp — “Everything Everywhere All at Once” led all films Tuesday 11 nominations including best picture and best actress for Michelle Yeoh — Quan is living a dream he had given up on.

Speaking by phone from Los Angeles, Quan — widely considered the frontrunner to win best supporting actor at the March 12 Oscars — reflected on his once-unfathomable Oscar moment.

AP: How does this feel?

Quan: It feels surreal. I cannot believe this is happening. When I heard the nomination, I jumped up and I screamed so loud. I felt exactly how I felt when my agent called to tell me I got the part of Waymond.

This is something that I have dreamed of for more than 30 years. I would watch the Oscars every year, religiously. I would always envision myself on the red carpet, being in that room, being nominated and the anticipation of them reading it — all of that. It just seemed so far-fetched. Especially when I had to step away for acting for so many years, that dream seemed like it was dead. I didn't even dare to think of that anymore because I wasn't an actor anymore. My whole thing was just I wanted a job. I just wanted to have a steady job where I could act again.

So getting an Oscar nomination is so beyond my imagination. I cannot believe I'm having this conversation with you.

AP: What was your morning like?

Quan: I set an alarm clock. I woke up really early and I got on a Zoom with my “EEAAO” family, with Michelle, with the Daniels, with our producer Jonathan (Wang). We were just talking and watching as the nominations came in. All of us were so blown away. We can't believe that we're leading with 11 categories. I'm so grateful to the academy. They've made a lot of dreams come true today.

AP: You've been much celebrated this awards season. Have you felt people rooting for you and inspired by your twist of fate?

Quan: When I decided to get back into acting, I was so afraid. The last time they saw me up on the screen, I was a little kid. Now, I'm a middle-aged man. Ever since our movie came out, they have shown me nothing but love and kindness, and I'm grateful to them. I've cried so many times. I've been so emotional because I've met a lot of them in person and they all said they're so happy to see me back up on the screen again. This has been such a wild and unbelievable ride. I didn't expect any of this. I do hope that my story inspires them to not give up on their dreams.

AP: What are you going to do to celebrate today?

Quan: I want to call my family. I want to give my wife a hug. They have supported me all these years unconditionally. They saw me when I was struggling. They were happy for me starting out making those movies. And when I was dispirited, they were worried for me. They would always ask if there was anything they could do for me, even offering me to go up to Houston — where the majority of my family lives — to see if I wanted to do something else. So they understand my struggles more than anybody.

Ever since our movie came out, especially during awards season, they have been so, so happy for me. Seeing their smiles, their joy, that's what warms my heart. That's what I'm grateful for. Especially my wife who I've been married to for 22 years now. Every month, every year, she tells that: “Ke, one day it will happen.” She never wavered in her belief in me. (Quan's voice quivers) When I didn't believe in myself, she believed in me.

AP: Michelle Yeoh described her Oscar nomination as a validation. Especially considering you went through those long periods of self-doubt, is it the same for you?

Quan: She's right. It's the biggest validation. When I stepped in front of the camera, I didn't know whether I could do this again, and I didn't know if the audience wanted to see me do this again. All I knew was that I felt happy when I was in front of the camera. I felt very comfortable, like that's where I belong. So this nomination means that I made the right decision.

For the longest time, when I was much, much younger, I was so lost because I didn't see a road for me. But now I see it. I think this means that I get to do this for as long as I like. And honestly, to be able to do something that you love, it's such a huge luxury. That's what this nomination is. It means the world to me.

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Entertainment

Rapper Lil Jon Confirms Death of His Son, Nathan Smith

Lil Jon performs at Gronk Beach music festival during Super Bowl week on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP)
Lil Jon performs at Gronk Beach music festival during Super Bowl week on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP)
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Rapper Lil Jon Confirms Death of His Son, Nathan Smith

Lil Jon performs at Gronk Beach music festival during Super Bowl week on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP)
Lil Jon performs at Gronk Beach music festival during Super Bowl week on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP)

American rapper Lil Jon said on Friday that his son, Nathan Smith, has died, the record producer confirmed in a joint statement with Smith’s mother.

"I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother (Nicole Smith) and I are devastated,” the statement said.

Lil Jon described his son as ‌an “amazingly talented ‌young man” who was ‌a ⁠music producer, artist, ‌engineer, and a New York University graduate.

“Thank you for all of the prayers and support in trying to locate him over the last several days. Thank you to the entire Milton police department involved,” the “Snap ⁠Yo Fingers” rapper added.

A missing persons report was ‌filed on Tuesday for Smith ‍in Milton, Georgia, authorities ‍said in a post on the ‍Milton government website.

Police officials added that a broader search for Smith, also known by the stage name DJ Young Slade, led divers from the Cherokee County Fire Department to recover a body from a pond near ⁠his home on Friday.

"The individual is believed to be Nathan Smith, pending official confirmation by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office,” the post continued.

While no foul play is suspected, the Milton Police Department Criminal Investigations Division will be investigating the events surrounding Smith’s death.

Lil Jon is a Grammy-winning rapper known for a string ‌of chart-topping hits and collaborations, including “Get Low,” “Turn Down for What” and “Shots.”

Entertainment

Keke Palmer Is a Fish Out of Water in Horror-Comedy Series Based on Cult Movie ‘The ’Burbs’

Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall attend Premiere Event Of Peacock's "The 'Burbs" at Universal Studios Backlot on February 05, 2026 in Universal City, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall attend Premiere Event Of Peacock's "The 'Burbs" at Universal Studios Backlot on February 05, 2026 in Universal City, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Keke Palmer Is a Fish Out of Water in Horror-Comedy Series Based on Cult Movie ‘The ’Burbs’

Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall attend Premiere Event Of Peacock's "The 'Burbs" at Universal Studios Backlot on February 05, 2026 in Universal City, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall attend Premiere Event Of Peacock's "The 'Burbs" at Universal Studios Backlot on February 05, 2026 in Universal City, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

The suburbs are anything but bland in the new Peacock series “The 'Burbs,” where strange things are going on. Like how jokes mix with the dread.

Inspired by the 1989 Tom Hanks-led movie of the same name, “The 'Burbs” follows a new mom as she navigates a foreign world of white picket fences and manicured lawns while also investigating a possible murder.

“It’s got the comedy, it has the drama, it's got the mystery, it's got the horror, the thrills, the suspense — all of it,” says Celeste Hughey, the creator, writer and executive producer. All eight episodes drop Friday.

Hanks is replaced by Keke Palmer, who plays a newlywed and new mom who moves into her husband's family home in fictional Hinkley Hills, where everyone is in everybody else's business. “Suburbia is a spectator sport,” she is told.

Across the street is an abandoned home, where a local teen disappeared decades ago. Palmer's Samira soon joins forces with a band of off-beat suburbanites to help solve the case, even if her own husband had some sort of role.

“I really wanted to focus on that fish-out-of-water feeling, centering Samira as a Black woman in a white suburb who is a new mom, a new wife — new everything — and trying to figure out where she belongs in the environment,” says Hughey.

The cast includes Jack Whitehall as Samira's husband and the trio of Julia Duffy, Mark Proksch and Paula Pell as her wine-swilling, investigating neighbors who form a sort of found family.

“The movie came out when I was quite young, but I remember seeing it as a kid and it being like this terrifying movie to me,” says Hughey. “But revisiting it as an adult, it's just like the most timely movie.”

The scripts crackle with witty humor, from references to Marie Kondo to “Baby Reindeer,” and jokes often improvised by the actors. Chocolate brownies are described as “the Beyoncé of desserts” and there’s a joke about how white ladies love salad.

“The ’Burbs” also touches on more serious issues over its eight episodes — microaggressions, racial profiling, bullying and childhood trauma — but takes a kooky, off-beat approach.

“I always look at things with a sense of humor,” says Hughey. “I think comedy is a way to be able to examine all these pretty heavy subjects, but in a way that’s accessible, in a way that is clarifying.”

Palmer says she grew up watching Norman Lear shows and admired his ability to both entertain and address social tensions — something she found in “The 'Burbs.”

“When I read this script for the first time, then as we started doing the show, it started to become clear that we had an opportunity to do the same thing,” Palmer says. “We can expose cliches, we can lean into things, which is one of the greatest tools of satire and comedy in itself, and horror as well, because horror can play as a good allegory for the issues in our life.”

Whitehall, who grew up in the London suburb of Putney, says he appreciates that the social commentary never feels that heavy handed between the comedy and horror: “It was great to sort of be able to play in both genres.”

There are multiple nods to the original movie, like picking the last name Fisher after the late actor Carrie Fisher, who appeared in the Hanks-led version, and naming a dog Darla after the name of the pup who starred in the 1989 version. Hanks, himself, appears in a blink-or-you’ll-miss-it image.

There’s a scene where Samira steps onto her neighbor’s grass and leaves suddenly swirl around her feet menacingly, an echo to the original. And there’s a moment when sardines and pretzels are served, a riff off a classic moment in the movie. The creators even asked original actor Wendy Schaal to return to play the town librarian.

“I really wanted to honor the original fans of the movie and make sure that they see that someone who respects the original material and loves the movie had it in their hands,” says Hughey. “I see the fans.”

Hughey said she wrote the series with Palmer's voice in mind, a piece of manifesting that turned out to actually work when she first met Palmer over a year later.

The music ranges from Bill Withers' “Lovely Day” to Steve Lacy's “Dark Red” to Doechii’s “Anxiety” and Big Pun's “I'm Not a Player.”

“Music is very much a part of my creative process and something that I wanted to stand out in the show as well,” says Hughey. “I got to pull in so many of my inspiration songs.”

Entertainment

Kurt Cobain's 'Nevermind' Guitar Up for Sale

Guitars are displayed during a press preview of The Jim Irsay Collection at Christie's Los Angeles in Beverly Hills, California, on February 5, 2026. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP)
Guitars are displayed during a press preview of The Jim Irsay Collection at Christie's Los Angeles in Beverly Hills, California, on February 5, 2026. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP)
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Kurt Cobain's 'Nevermind' Guitar Up for Sale

Guitars are displayed during a press preview of The Jim Irsay Collection at Christie's Los Angeles in Beverly Hills, California, on February 5, 2026. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP)
Guitars are displayed during a press preview of The Jim Irsay Collection at Christie's Los Angeles in Beverly Hills, California, on February 5, 2026. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP)

The guitar played by late rock legend Kurt Cobain on the anthemic grunge track "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is going under the hammer next month.

 

The 1966 Fender Mustang is among a treasure trove of instruments and musical memorabilia that also includes the logo-emblazoned drum that announced The Beatles to the United States when the Fab Four played "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964.

 

The Jim Irsay collection -- put together by the one-time owner of the Indianapolis Colts NFL team -- includes guitars played by musicians who defined the 20th century, including Pink Floyd's Dave Gilmour, The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia, as well as Eric Clapton, John Coltrane and Johnny Cash.

 

But at the center of the collection are handwritten lyrics for The Beatles' smash "Hey Jude" as well as guitars played by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison.

 

"I think it's fair to say that this collection of Beatles instruments...is the most important assembled Beatles collection for somebody who wasn't a member of the band," Amelia Walker, the London-based head of private and iconic collections at Christie's, told AFP in Beverly Hills.

 

"There are five Beatles guitars in his collection, as well as Ringo Starr's first Ludwig drum kit (and) John Lennon's piano, on which he composed several songs from Sergeant Pepper."

 

Also included is "the drum skin from Ringo's second Ludwig kit, which is the vision which greeted 73 million Americans who tuned in to watch 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on the ninth of February 1964 when the Beatles broke America."

 

The drum kit is expected to fetch around $2 million, while the guitars could sell for around $1 million at the auction in New York, Christie's estimates.

Perhaps the most expensive item in the collection is Cobain's guitar, which experts say might sell for up to $5 million.

"It's a talismanic guitar for people of my generation... who lived through grunge," said Walker.

"(Smells Like Teen Spirit) was the anthem of that generation. That video is so iconic.

"We're incredibly proud and privileged to have that here."