Best Supporting Actor 2022: Ke Huy Quan in Everything Everywhere All At Once

Ke Huy Quan won his Oscar from his first Oscar nomination for portraying Waymond Wang in Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Everything Everywhere All At Once follows a middle-aged Chinese immigrant Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) as she faces her life choices, her family, and the potential destruction of reality. 

Speaking of never counting an actor out, Ke Huy Quan has proven to potentially be one of the all-time great comeback stories having gone from his childhood work in Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom and The Goonies, to fading to obscurity, to behind-the-scenes work, and then finally getting an opportunity again to come in front of the camera. An opportunity he did not waste. I'll admit the first time I watched the film, I thought two things as I saw this performer I could swear I never saw before, "this guy is good" but also "that voice sounds so oddly familiar yet I cannot place it for the life of me". Well, the voice was familiar but in the now adult Quan is obviously a very different role than what had made him noted in the 80s. One thing that is consistent is an obvious excitement to be onscreen that here is rather infectious. Quan's portrayal of Waymond here, as the husband of Evelyn, who run their family laundry with their lesbian daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu), initially carries with it this rather, for the lack of a better word, dorky but endearing presence as we see the man run around the laundry doing various tasks. Unlike his wife who seems always tired about something, Quan shows that Waymond has much joy just in his average day-to-day moments. Take the moment of dancing with one of their customers, a moment that could be too much, yet Quan is pitch perfect in showing this personality of warmth and fun as he just brings the sense of someone who is trying to have fun as he can. Important to this as well is as Joy introduces her girlfriend to the family, Quan shows just the biggest sense of acceptance and love for his daughter and her girlfriend in the purest sense. Quan shows someone who really wants to welcome others as he can and tries to make the most of what he has going on. This is still with a lot of movement all around but Quan presents it as the man trying to find the simple joys where he can in most circumstances. 

The exception to this is within the actual central relationship between Waymond and his wife. Quan with Yeoh creates a sense of a LONG history between the two, although not in exactly the best way. Much of what Yeoh shows is taking Waymond very much for granted in every little request and taking little joy in the joy he is trying to spread. Quan on the other hand shows this certain low-key sense of frustration in these moments of just trying to get his wife to play along with him for even a moment. In turn, when she actually communicates it is always something in terms of just taking care of some task, and Quan's reaction to these moments is consistent with this very sort of accepted sense of frustration. Everything is something other than the love between them, but every interaction reveals the long history between them. As his acceptance is that of someone who has largely accepted what it is with time. And as is the truth with the situation Waymond was planning on delivering divorce papers to his wife. These moments are so beautifully performed by Quan as you see that joy drift on his face, which has the greater impact because that so defines who Waymond is in Quan's overall portrayal. This is something he obviously can't find joy in, and Quan portrays such a potent sadness every time he's clearly thinking about the divorce papers. You see in his face though it isn't with a hint of anger or anything like that, but rather this sense of hopelessness attached to it. Quan presents the emotion as something that Waymond has come to after much personal conflict and it clearly isn't at all easy, and so far flung from his very nature to consider such a thing. And just from this alone, this is a wonderful performance. Quan makes an endearing presence that is just fun to watch in itself, which is always something you want in a film and makes Waymond even in his kind of nerdy way, immensely likable. 

Of course, this is only getting just started as Evelyn finds out suddenly in an elevator ride as Waymond becomes possessed by the consciousness of Waymond from an alternative universe. I would think one might've thought that you might just get that energy from Quan, but here's where greatness is revealed because of the ease with which he completely changes his performance in a matter of a moment. Although visually Waymond pulls the old Clark Kent/Superman out of removing his glasses, Quan's performance does the actual selling of the transformation. His face instantly went from that slightly silly expression to a face of confidence and determination. His movements go from that slightly hapless though energetic, to firm and distinct in his movements. Quan instantly becomes a man of action with such ease, and really more than that. It's an amazing bit because he goes from goofy to dashing with such ease that you instantly believe this new Waymond just as you did the old. Quan isn't playing the role was Waymond playing another, a role he is rather an entirely new Waymond. That in itself would probably be enough, but there really is more because what Quan has to do in an instance is a TON of heavy lifting to convey the plot of the piece in a matter of a few minutes. Quan proves himself to be a master of exposition as he delivers this onslaught of seeming nonsense, that he makes completely tangible due to his delivery that is filled with such remarkable gravitas. Every word Quan brings great meaning, and his eyes are of a man who is telling not only some great truth, it is also telling it as the most essential truth anyone ever had to tell in their life. Quan makes it, as weird of a switch as it is, as natural as it can be because there is no silliness in his voice now, this is a matter of the greatest importance. 

Quan's performance for me is ideal in capturing the film's wacky tone in a way that I found the most appealing, strangely enough, because as Alpha Waymond he actually takes things so seriously. Take the first action scene where Quan's whole performance is magnificent. Yes in terms of showing off his kung fu skills most definitely, but far more just in the presence he delivers at the moment. The confidence on his face as he is about to go against the enemies and just the readiness for it. Quan makes it a whole, well for the right word in this instance, an epic moment. Quan becomes this hero in this sequence and it is fantastic because he is so convincing in every respect. He is convincing in terms of the fighting, in a way that is so energized within that, but he is also so convincing in delivering every word around the ridiculous plot. With every more ridiculous idea Quan puts all his heart into selling it, and in a way owns the wackiness that for him makes it not so wacky strangely enough. Even when Alpha Waymond goes on about enjoying Dairy, since in their universe they lost all cows to the destroyer of realities Jobu Tupaki (aka their daughter Joy from the Alpha verse), Quan still delivers that even with conviction. The comedic moments around this version of the character sold with all seriousness within Quan's performance, and the right approach in offering some real weight in selling the whole concept. Quan succeeds in this and succeeds in really presenting the whole next phase of the film with such ease. Making, even as supporting, setting up a great hero, and more so mentor toward Evelyn to go the rest of the way. To the point that even the end moment of Alpha Waymond, is separately moving from any fate of the other Waymond because Quan makes him such a distinct character on his own. Quan still bringing only the most sincere moment of his final words towards Evelyn, and making a moving exit to that character. 

There's still regular Waymond though and to say that's all there is would be a disservice to this Waymond, who despite his dorky manner is so much more than that. Quan is so incredibly endearing just in every little reaction he has in every single scene. No matter what he adds just a bit more comedy, or just a bit more heart to every single different moment he has. It can be a second or much more of that, Quan is always adding more to this film. This is Quan quite simply the secret weapon of the film and Waymond ends up being so in the narrative. This isn't simple goodness that Quan depicts however, there is so much more than that. In the alternative path where we actually see Evelyn and Waymond discuss the divorce, rather than get entangled in the multi-verse. Quan brings so much vulnerability at the moment and shows though in his delivery that the emphasis is on just the tragedy of the two's failure, rather than any negative emotion to who they are or even who Evelyn is. The sadness comes from not being able to achieve the happiness it he thought they were capable of. Quan always successfully emphasizes the better nature of Waymond so naturally, making him consistently just this sense of brightness even in those dark moments. For me, one of the most emotional moments is when Waymond pleads to Evelyn to stop, who in a nihilistic stupor stabs Waymond. That's so heartbreaking because the disbelief on Quan's face is so fundamental and so pure of someone who only wants the best for everyone. In turn, when he successfully makes a second plea where he isn't stopped, Quan's delivery is perfect because he brings so much passion that has this profound sense of goodness, hope, and optimism for peace and love. Quan sells that moment but really sells the key idea that love is where it is. He does it without being saccharine, rather he just makes it a truth and shows for all of how one might underestimate Waymond, that there's such power in such a purity of a soul. That soul that Quan makes is so tangible and really just so beautiful in his overabundance of warmth. 

Of course, I would be remiss if I ended this review without mentioning the final Waymond that is given substantial time, that is in the alternate verse where Evelyn is a famous actress who rejected Waymond long ago, but they meet again at a premiere, where the two are essentially within the land of Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood For Love. This could be a fun bit, but it's not a bit. Quan takes it 100% seriously and goes all in on this task. In that he reinvents himself again, to give a performance worthy of comparison to Tony Leung, with his suave demeanor. A completely different confident demeanor than Alpha Waymond. Quan makes him entirely his own man, and his whole manner evokes Leung but also Quan seemingly merely could've played that part. As he gives so much in his eyes of a man thinking about could've beens and might've beens. Quan's delivery is rich with so much repressed emotion as he calmly states that he would've loved to have lived a less glamorous life with Evelyn. Quan brings such poignancy to every word and creates a real sense of a man thinking and feeling in a wholly different way, yet still in this way of a man wanting love. This love though now is the love a man who knows he cannot have but still thinks about it. Quan plays that regret though with a sense of philosophical understanding rather than overt sadness. This could've been just a comical moment, but it is so much more. And really that moment only made me what more could Quan do as an actor, as in this film, he appears to have no limits. To the point that the combined sequence of normal Waymond and Leung Waymond's mutual expressions of belief in love, is so cathartic and powerful, that for me the film struggles to come back from it because it is such an ideal climax thanks to just how outstanding Quan is. I love everything about this performance by Ke Huy Quan. And while it is unfortunate to hear about his struggle to get back to this point, I am so glad that he did, and delivered this turn. A performance worthy of every bit of praise it has garnered, and that this wasn't the gimmicky return of a fun actor from the 80's, rather Quan proved, that a great actor can now can finally live up to his potential.