Never Say Die
by Ke Huy Quan
DESCRIPTION
In this stunning and compulsively readable memoir, the Oscar-winning star of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Goonies, and Everything Everywhere All at Once, Ke Huy Quan, tells the story of his journey from Vietnamese refugee to 80s child star to the most inspiring comeback in Hollywood history.
Ke Huy Quan’s Hollywood adventure began when he was twelve years old, a mere five years after his family escaped Communist Northern Vietnam and settled down to a relatively peaceful life in L.A.’s Chinatown. After attending an open call audition on a whim, he was unexpectedly swept up in the wild world of filmmaking: learning to swim from Harrison Ford on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, receiving trucks full of toys from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas for his birthday, meeting Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, and making lifelong friends on the set of The Goonies.
A star of two of the most beloved movies of the ‘80s, there appeared to be no limit to Ke’s rise. But just a few years later, the roles had dried up and it seemed like Hollywood no longer had a place for him. He eventually left acting to work odd jobs behind the scenes for directors like Wong Kar Wai. His confidence was badly shaken, but his love of performing never abated. It wasn’t until decades later, when he was 49 years old, that he stepped back in front of the camera to star in a strange little indie film called Everything Everywhere All at Once, which surprised everyone with its incredible box-office and awards season success. To call Ke’s Oscar-winning performance a triumphant return would be an understatement.
In this moving, inspirational memoir, Ke paints a vivid self-portrait, telling both heart-wrenching and funny stories of his early rise, slow fall from the spotlight, the resilience that kept him going through his darkest times, and his eventual resurrection on one of the biggest stages in Hollywood. Never Say Die is the story of Ke’s extraordinary life, a love letter to the movies and people that shaped him, and a powerful testament to never giving up on your dreams.
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MY THOUGHTS
I knew Ke Huy Quan as Data from The Goonies: bright-eyed, funny, and seemingly at home in the joyful chaos of childhood adventure. I had no idea that behind that cheerful child-star image was a boy who had already endured imprisonment, separation, and a perilous escape from Vietnam.
One moment, he was a happy child growing up in a large, middle-class family in Saigon. The next, at just six years old - when most children are starting first grade - he was imprisoned twice.
Because of their Chinese heritage, Ke’s family was no longer welcome in Vietnam, and escape became an urgent necessity. As his parents worked to get the family out, Ke and his siblings were separated multiple times. Despite the dangers, and with the unwavering determination of his father, Ke and his siblings were eventually reunited with their mother and brother in Los Angeles, in the city’s Chinatown.
But that escape came at a cost - to the family and to Ke. Still a child, he had to adapt to circumstances that had changed almost overnight. And then, almost unbelievably, Ke’s life took another dramatic turn.
In 1983, at just twelve years old, Ke accompanied his younger brother to an open casting call in Los Angeles. He had no acting experience and no idea that this ordinary day would change the course of his life. While waiting for his brother, Ke was asked to audition himself. That unexpected opportunity led to his role as Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Imagine that for a moment: this little boy, who had already experienced things most adults could never imagine, suddenly found himself on a movie set with Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg. Then came The Goonies, where he played the unforgettable Data. Just like that, Ke Huy Quan became a child star.
And what a ride it was.
The stories from this part of the memoir made me smile because you can almost see the wonder of it all through young Ke’s eyes. He worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest names, received birthday surprises from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, formed lifelong friendships on The Goonies, and experienced a childhood that seemed almost impossible considering where his story had begun.
But this is where Never Say Die becomes much more than a nostalgic Hollywood memoir.
Because the success didn’t last.
The roles eventually stopped coming. Hollywood offered very few opportunities for Asian actors, and the little boy who had once been so excited to step onto a movie set found himself struggling to find a place in the industry. Eventually, Ke stepped away from acting. He went to film school, and after he graduated, began working behind the scenes as an action choreographer and assistant director. For years, he remained connected to movies.- but not in the way he had once dreamed.
Then, decades later, everything changed again.
At forty-nine, Ke Huy Quan returned to acting in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Now grown-up Ke Huy Quan, no longer the adorable child from Indiana Jones or The Goonies, but a remarkably talented actor who had never stopped believing that he belonged on the screen.
His comeback culminated in an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, along with Golden Globe and SAG Award wins.
Which brings me back to those acceptance speeches.
Before I say another word about this memoir, take it from me: go online and watch Ke Huy Quan’s Golden Globe and Oscar acceptance speeches. You will need tissues.
After reading Never Say Die, those speeches hit differently.
You know what came before. You know about the little boy who left Vietnam, the refugee camp, the family sacrifices, and the child who became a Hollywood star only to watch the opportunities disappear. You know about the man who kept working behind the scenes while wondering whether he would ever act again.
And then you watch him standing on that stage, holding an Oscar. It is impossible not to feel the weight of everything that came before that moment.
Never Say Die is ultimately a story about perseverance, but it is also a story about hope - especially the kind of hope that survives when there is no reason to believe your dream will come true. Sometimes, the dream you thought you had lost is simply waiting for the right moment to find you again.
Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
