Ke Huy Quan has revealed just how impactful Everything Everywhere All At Once has been on his career.
Since the Oscar-nominated film’s release, the Vietnamese actor has experienced a tremendous Hollywood comeback.
However, before the multiverse drama’s theatrical release in March 2022, which was delayed by Covid for two years after they wrapped filming in March 2020, Quan said nobody would hire him.
During a recent appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, the 51-year-old former child actor explained that after they filmed the movie, he was auditioning for several roles but could “not get a single job”.
“This is 2021, and I was so nervous. I was about to lose my health insurance,” Quan said. “So I called my agent and I said, ‘Can you please get me anything? It doesn’t matter, I just need one job to make the minimum requirement so I can qualify for health insurance the following year.’”
He reiterated that he “couldn’t get one single job” before confirming that “sure enough, 2021 came and went [and I] lost my health insurance”.
“I called my producer, who’s seen the [Everything Everywhere] – I haven’t seen a single footage at this point,” Quan continued, “and said, ‘Can you please tell me one thing? Am I good in the movie?’”
When his producer questioned why he would ask such a “stupid question”, the actor said: “Well, nobody wants to hire me.”
Quan recalled the producer telling him to “be patient” and “just wait”.
“And then of course, the movie came out in March of last year, and my life has changed.”
Everything Everywhere All At Once has earned 11 nods, including Best Picture, at the 2023 Academy Awards, making it the most nominated film of the year.
Quan is also competing for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, the category he won at this year’s Golden Globes, SAG Awards and Critics Choice Awards.
