Indiana Jones star Ke Huy Quan reveals why he disappeared from Hollywood for decades before his Oscar win

Indiana Jones actor Ke Huy Quan has opened up about what prompted him to leave Hollywood, as he recalled becoming 'incredibly depressed'.

Quan was once one of Hollywood’s most recognisable child stars, winning over audiences around the world with his roles in some of the biggest adventure movies of the 1980s.

The actor, now 54, shot to fame playing Short Round alongside Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984, before appearing as Data in the beloved coming-of-age film The Goonies the following year.

But despite his early success, Quan’s time in the spotlight was surprisingly short-lived, with the star eventually stepping away from acting for decades after struggling to find roles in an industry that offered limited opportunities for Asian performers.

While many child stars struggle to escape the shadow of their early fame, Quan’s story took an unexpected turn when he returned to Hollywood and delivered an acclaimed performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once.

The star has opened up about struggling with his father's illness in the early 1990s. (Paula Lobo/American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. via Getty Images)

His comeback culminated in a historic Oscar win in 2023, but the journey back to the big screen was far from easy.

In the early 1990s, his father suffered a debilitating stroke.

Quan recalled that, around the same time, acting opportunities stopped coming in, leaving him dealing with both his declining career and his father’s illness.

Speaking in a recent interview with the TODAY Show, the star said: "We were all rushed to the hospital and found out he had a massive stroke, a debilitating stroke.

"And I wanted to tell him how I was feeling. But, you know, we were never a family that talked about our feelings, so it was hard.

"And I felt like we were both going through kind of the same thing, but in our different lanes."

He made his comeback in 2021. (Today/NBC News)

But after more than two decades away from acting, Quan made his return to the big screen in 2021, starring in Netflix's Finding 'Ohana.

However, it was his role as Waymond Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once, released in 2022, that marked his major Hollywood comeback.

And having spent years struggling to find acting opportunities, Quan admitted he was nervous about returning back on the big screen.

"Stepping in front of the camera for the first time after 20 years away, I felt alive," he said, in a 2023 interview with NPR’s Fresh Air.

He also revealed that during auditions, he was so afraid of failing that he initially kept his casting a secret from his family.