Harrison Ford and Ke Huy Quan reunite at The Dial Of Destiny premiere 40 years after
The U.S. premiere of the fifth installment in the Indiana Jones film franchise was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Wednesday.
And while there was no shortage of star power on the red carpet for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, a recent Oscar-winning actor had a surprise reunion with Harrison Ford, the man behind the role of renowned archaeologist and adventurer, Indiana Jones.
In a show of support for his Indiana Jones family, Ke Huy Quan made a point of spending time with the longtime leading man for the cameras, in a sweet and emotional moment for the two actors.
Quan was just 12-years-old when he made his debut as a professional actor nearly 40 years ago, playing the role of Short Round in Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom (1984).
Fans will recall he was the young orphan sidekick, who drives the 1936 Auburn Boat Tail Speedster that allows Indy to escape during the opening sequence.
Reunited: Recent Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan reunited with Harrison Ford at the premiere of Indiana Jones and The Dial Of Destiny in Los Angeles on Wednesday, 40 years after they starred together in Temple of The Doom
As fans watched from just outside the red carpet, Quan, now 51, wrapped his arms around Ford with a glowing smile on his face, decked out in a black suit with a red shirt.
Equally beaming with pride, Ford was also visibly moved by the moment, which comes just three months after his former co-star won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Everything Everywhere All At Once.
His riveting role as Waymond Wang followed an almost 20-year hiatus from acting, where he worked as a stunt choreographer and assistant director.
Seizing on the heartfelt moment, Ford and Quan could be seen fielding questions from entertainment journalists on the red carpet.
For Temple Of the Doom, Quan was handpicked by director Steven Spielberg to play Short Round after a long search through about 6,000 kids to find the perfect child actor.
The Saigon, South Vietnam native actually tagged along with his brother to an audition for the first sequel to Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981), in a show of support, according to Movie Web.
But the casting director would see the potential in Quan, not his brother, and asked him to also read for the character.
He ended up sealing the deal for the role of Short Round once Spielberg got a look at the footage of his audition.
Emotional: Seizing on the heartfelt moment, Ford and Quan could be seen fielding questions from entertainment journalists on the red carpet
Glowing: The two former colleagues actually had their first reunion at the D23 expo last September=, where Ford congratulated Quan on his recent success
Child stardom: Quan was just 12-years-old when the shoot for Temple Of Doom ended
Fans along the red carpet couldn’t get enough of Quan, who has garnered tremendous support from the public following his performance and Oscar win for Everything Everywhere All At Once after a nearly 20-year hiatus from acting
Spielberg liked his personality so much that he and Ford got to improvise the scene where Short Round accuses Indy of cheating during a card game
‘I didn’t go looking to be an actor. I was just like a normal kid, going to school every day at my elementary school, 12 years old at that time,’ Quan recalled.
He continued, ‘I immigrated here to Los Angeles in 1979, and four years later, as fate would have it, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas was looking for a Chinese kid to be Short Round. And they went everywhere looking for him. Couldn’t find him, almost gave up the role, when they decided to have an open call in Chinatown, Los Angeles.’
In the wake of his success with his comeback role in Everything Everywhere All At Once, the grateful actor has garnered fan support from all across the world.
The former child star actually had his first reunion with Ford at the D23 expo last September.
‘Are you Short Round?’ the 80-year-old actor asked when they met eyes, which Quan said transported him back to 1984 and the Temple Of Doom, during an interview in Men’s Health.
‘Yes, Indy, it’s me,’ he responded back to Ford at the time.
Afterwards, Ford shared his thoughts and emotions about the reunion, saying it was ‘great to see him. I mean… I’ve had the opportunity to see the film (Everything Everywhere All At Once). He is really terrific in his movie. And I’m so glad to see him… and what he has become. I’m so happy for him… And well deserved! Well deserved.’
Accidental role: Quan, a Saigon, South Vietnam native, actually tagged along with his brother to an audition for Temple Of The Doom, in a show of support, but the casting director would see the potential in Quan as Short Round and passed him on to Spielberg
Personal pick: For Temple Of the Doom, Quan was handpicked by director Steven Spielberg to play Short Round after a long search through about 6,000 actors to find the perfect child actor
Coming: Indiana Jones And The Dial of Destiny, the first of the franchise not to have Steven Spielberg direct, is scheduled to hit theaters across the U.S on June 30
Ford greeted fans at the front of the venue during the screening
Quan with fellow Indiana Jones alum Raj Singh
Harrison Ford, John Williams and George Lucas seen mingling
Indiana Jones And The Dial of Destiny, the first of the franchise not to have Steven Spielberg direct, is scheduled to hit theaters across the U.S on June 30
In what’s considered Indy’s last adventure with Ford wearing the iconic fedora-style hat and carrying his trusty whip, Dial Of Destiny is set on 1969 with the backdrop of the Space race.
Dr. Jones finds himself uneasy over the U.S. government’s recruitment of former Nazis to help beat the Soviet Union in the competition to make it to space.
For this go-around, Indy’s goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), accompanies him on his new journey, while Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), a NASA member and ex-Nazi involved with the moon-landing program, wishes to make the world into a better place as he sees fit.
Directed by James Mangold from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth and David Koepp, the cast also includes Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Ethann Isidore and Boyd Holbrook.
Indiana Jones And The Dial of Destiny, the first of the franchise not to have Steven Spielberg direct, is scheduled to hit theaters across the U.S on June 30.