Ke Huy Quan Describes Reuniting With Harrison Ford

One of the few good things to come out of the internet last month was a photo that went viral from the D23 Expo convention. It featured the reunion (after 38 years!) of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom stars Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones) and d (his kid sidekick, Short Round). Quan was a very busy child actor for a few years in the 1980s and early ’90s; in addition to Temple of Doom, he also starred in The Goonies and was a cast member on the sitcom Head of the Class. 

As Quan got older, the parts dried up, so he transitioned out of acting to work behind the camera, as a stunt coordinator and assistant director. In the last few years, Quan returned to acting in a big way; he gives a wonderful supporting performance in the recent indie hit Everything Everywhere All At Once, and he’ll soon be seen in the second season of Marvel’s Loki.

That’s why Quan was at D23, where Ford was also on hand to promote the upcoming fifth Indiana Jones film. The pair bumped into each other backstage at the event, posed for a picture, Quan posted the photo to his Instagram, and the sincere smiles on both men’s faces made for a very feel good moment.

Now Quan revealed the story behind the photo to The New York Times’ Kyle Buchanan. As he explained it, his handler at the event told him Ford was nearby and asked if he would want to go say hello. “Of course!” Quan replied.

Although he was worried Ford may not recognize him after 38 years, the actor did immediately. In Quan’s words:

As I get closer, he turns and points his finger at me, and he has that classic, famous, grumpy Harrison Ford look. I Go ‘Oh my gosh, he probably thinks I’m a fan and he’s gonna tell me to not come near him.’ But he looks and points at me and says, ‘Are you Short Round?’ Immediately, I was transported back to 1984, when I was a little kid, and I said, “Yes, Indy.” And he said “Come here,” and gave me a big hug.

I’m not crying, you’re crying. Oh shut up.

This is so lovely, it makes me want Short Round to pop up in the new Indiana Jones. Obviously, he won’t; if they hadn’t seen each other in 38 years before D23, then Quan hadn’t shot a role in the film,. But it would have been nice. We’ll always have that great photo, I suppose.

The new Indiana Jones is scheduled to open in theaters on June 30, 2023. The new season of Loki is expected to debut in 2023 as well.