Ke Huy Quan was awarded an Oscar on Sunday night. The American-Vietnamese actor won in the best supporting actor category for the fantasy film Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Quan rose to fame as a youth actor for movies like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in The Goonies, but as an adult he had a lot less success. “I almost gave up,” he said emotionally on stage. “Keep believing in your dreams.”
Immediately afterwards, Jamie Lee Curtis was also awarded for her supporting role in Everything Everywhere All at Once. She, too, eventually broke down in tears when she started talking about her parents. Actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh were nominated, but never won.
The first Oscar of the evening went to Guillermo del Toro, who already won a double prize in 2018 with The Shape of Water. This time he was awarded in the category for best animated film. His stop motion version of Pinocchio won titles like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in Turning Red.
Grappen over Will Smith
Host Jimmy Kimmel kicked off the evening with a few jokes that immediately referenced last year’s incident. Will Smith then punched Chris Rock on stage, later to receive the Oscar for Best Actor.
“We are working with a crisis team this year,” Kimmel said of the new measures. “If something happens on stage, just do what you did last year: nothing.”
As usual, the show was given some variety through music performances and film clips. But after Curtis and Quan’s early speeches, nothing much happened. “At this point you’re starting to miss those hits from last year, aren’t you?” Kimmel said teasingly.
Belgium is not included in the prizes
The Belgian youth drama Close had a chance in the category for best international film, but lost out to the towering favourite. The German war movie Nothing new in the West was nominated for nine categories and cashed in four so far.
Lady Gaga was not supposed to be present at the ceremony, but eventually climbed the Oscar stage. Wearing ripped jeans and a faded t-shirt, she focused on her voice for the nominated title song of Top Gun: Maverick.
The fantasy film Everything Everywhere All at Once has a chance in eleven categories and is therefore at the top of the nomination list. Also the German war drama Nothing new in the West and Irish tragicomedy The Banshees of Inisherin are seen as major contenders for the top prize.
