Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom star Ke Huy Quan recently opened up about bursting into tears while filming the 1984 blockbuster – and how his co-star Harrison Ford reacted.
Quan, who portrayed Indy’s young orphan pal Short Round, recalled how he became overwhelmed filming Temple of Doom‘s iconic mine cart chase in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Ford quickly realized something was up with Quan – then just 12 years old and starring in his first-ever movie – and stepped in to reassure him.
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“When we shot this sequence, I was so scared,” Quan said. “And I cried. I remember Harrison Ford kneeling down in front of me and asking me if I was okay. He said, and I’ll never forget this, ‘Ke, I want you to remember, I will never hurt you.’ When he said that, oh my gosh, it just made me love him so much more. Here is Indiana Jones telling me that he’s gonna take care of me.”
Temple of Doom was Quan’s only entry in the Indiana Jones franchise, and he and Ford have never starred in another film together. That said, the pair have reconnected off-camera in recent years, after Quan became one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actors following his Oscar win for 2022’s Everything Everywhere All at Once. Ford even played a part in Quan’s special night, embracing his former screen sidekick after Everything Everywhere All at Once nabbed the Best Picture statue.
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Predictably, viral moments such as this sparked speculation that Quan would reprise the Short Round role in Ford’s fifth and final outing as Indiana Jones, 2023’s Dial of Destiny. However, as noted above, this ultimately didn’t come to pass, as that flick’s co-writer/director James Mangold – while a self-professed fan of Quan – never considered bringing Short Round back.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is currently streaming on Disney+.
Published: Feb 11, 2025 10:50 am