"This Will Be My Last Action Movie": Ke Huy Quan Not Only Led the Action-Packed 'Love Hurts' But Helped Choreograph the Fights... And He's Exhausted!

Few actors have won the hearts of audiences quite like Ke Huy Quan. A fairy tale story of a young actor beloved by a generation who became the behind-the-scenes model for so many of our favorite, most memorable action scenes as a fight choreographer. Then, with his tear-inducing, heart-pumping big screen come-back with Everything Everywhere All At Once, Quan stole the Awards season narrative, bagging himself Oscar gold. Now, Quan is number one on the call sheet, carrying his new film as the lead in Jonathan Eusebio’s monster action debut, Love Hurts.

Love Hurts follows Quan’s Marvin Gabler, a successful realtor whose violent past comes back with a vengeance. After being visited by his former partner Cliff Cussick (played by Sean Astin), Marvin is informed his brother Knuckles (Daniel Wu) is coming to hunt him down. Now, Marvin’s experience as a hitman must save his entire world. The movie co-stars fellow Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose and former NFL player-turned-actor Marshawn Lynch.

Collider’s Steve Weintraub had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Quan to talk about all things Love Hurts. In this interview, they discuss his extensive history of fight choreography, the truth behind those The Goonies sequel rumors, his upcoming roles in The Russo Brother’s Electric State and Zootopia 2—and if that Oscar win was all a dream.

Ke Huy Quan on Life After His Academy Award

"I look at awards season differently now, through a different lens."

COLLIDER: Listen, man, all of us at Collider are huge fans. I just want to say congrats on kicking so much ass in the movie.

QUAN: Thank you.

Because I have extra time, I have a few other types of questions. The first one is where do you keep your Oscar?

QUAN: [Laughs] After I got it, it was at home, at my home office. But recently, I donated it to the Academy Museum. Right now, it's on display there. I would love people to go check it out. It's got all this other wonderful memorabilia from cinema.

Is it still weird for you to say "Oscar-winning?" You know what I mean?

QUAN: I know exactly what you're saying. Sometimes, I still pinch myself, and sometimes I ask my wife, “Did it really all happen?” Especially when I wake up in the morning and wonder if all of that was just a dream.

It wasn't. I watched you on TV, and it was amazing. You are a voting member of the Academy now? Did you have a favorite film of 2024, and do you want to share it?

QUAN: I'm a proud Academy member now. I am so happy to be that. All the movies that came out of 2024 are incredible. I do have some favorites, but I don't want to share them because it's not fair to others. But the performances are incredible. Having gone through that awards season with Everything Everywhere All At Once, I look at awards season differently now, through a different lens, and appreciate what everybody's doing because it's not easy. It was also a lot of fun. I'm so grateful that I got to experience what it was like. For many years, I was just a fan. I was just in the audience, watching all of that unfold on television. So to be able to be a part of that and to be in that room and to be on the red carpet with all those amazing, amazing, people, now I have a lot of selfies—a huge collection of selfies.

Speaking of your selfies, my next question was about them. I kept seeing you with amazing people. Do you have a favorite selfie or a top three?

QUAN: Honestly, every single one that I took, it's because I love that person. I've admired their work over the years. It really stemmed from when I see them in person, I'm so excited. I'm so giddy. I go up, and I just want to tell them how much I love them. I don't think I can say I have a favorite, but honestly, reuniting with my Indiana Jones family was really special. Martin Scorsese, I've been a huge fan of his for a long time, so to be able to meet him in person, that one was really special.

And also for him to know who you are.

QUAN: Yeah. I'm still surprised to this day when I go up to them and they know me. Again, Demi Moore is another one that I saw recently at the Golden Globes when I presented with Ariana DeBose. I met her during Everything Everywhere All At Once, and so to see her again, she's just so nice. She's really cool.

Ke Huy Quan Reflects on 'Loki' Season 2

"I'm so proud of the show."

I loved Loki Season 2, and I loved your performance in it. What was your reaction when you saw the finale with all the visual effects and the perfect way they ended that season?

QUAN: I remember when I got the call from Kevin Feige offering me the role of Ourobourus. I was so excited because I love that universe so much. I loved when Season 1 came out. I was a big fan, so to be able to be on the set with Tom [Hiddelston] and Owen [Wilson] and to be part of that was incredible. We had such a wonderful time making that. What was really surprising was I thought there would be a lot of green screen, but when I arrived on set, a lot of it was practical—except the Temporal Loom.

What? That was not real? I'm very disappointed.

QUAN: [Laughs] So to be able to see all that put together, I'm so proud of the show.

"I'm All for It": 'The Goonies' Sequel Stills Isn't Off the Table

“I would love to revisit Data and, of course, to be able to go on another incredible adventure with my fellow Goonies.”

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Goonies. There's been talk for so long about making a sequel. What are your honest thoughts about a sequel? Because they keep talking about how it might actually happen. I'm on board if the script is amazing. If the script isn't amazing, please don't make it.

QUAN: That's on all of our minds. I've spoken to everybody, and especially our head Goonie, Steven Spielberg, who also wants to do one. We are all on board. And like you just said, because it's such a beloved movie, we want to make sure that we have a really good script that can live up to the original. Honestly, it seems like every few years without fail, there's always a Goonies rumor. Hopefully, we can manifest it. Hopefully, it will come to pass. I will be the first one there. I would love to revisit Data and, of course, to be able to go on another incredible adventure with my fellow Goonies. I'm all for it.

The Goonies 2: Goonies Never Die. That’s the title.

QUAN: But before we get there, we have a little Goonies reunion in Love Hurts!

100%. Seeing the two of you on screen together was fantastic.

Harrison Ford and Tom Hiddleston Set a Gold Standard

"They opened their arms wide to make me feel like part of that family."

This is your first time being number one on the call sheet. You've worked on many other projects. What did you learn watching other number one people on the call sheet that you brought to this to be that leader on set?

QUAN: That was on my mind when I stepped on the Love Hurts set. When I worked with Harrison Ford, I saw how he made everybody feel, how he made everybody feel really welcome and part of the family. Also, how he made sure that the entire crew, no matter what position they were in, whatever they were doing, their contribution to the movie was just as important as what he brought to it. I really wanted to emulate that.

I've worked with wonderful people. Tom Hiddleston, again, that's exactly what he did. When I was working on Loki, it was Season 2. They'd done this before, and I was just a new kid on the block, but I felt so welcome. They opened their arms wide to make me feel like part of that family. That's what I wanted to do, and I hope I did that.

You fight everybody in this movie, but one of the specific people you fight is Marshawn Lynch, and he is pretty big.

QUAN: He's such a good actor, too.

I didn't know he had this range to be able to fight, and the dialogue. He's really good in it. You're not a big dude. He is a big dude. What is it like when you're getting ready to fight him on set? Because the truth is if he misses, it's game over for you.

QUAN: You're absolutely right. [Laughs] When I first met him, I went up and I introduced myself to him, and he's a big guy. He looked straight at me and said, "You're Marvin Gable, right?” I said, "Yeah." He said, “Well, I'm going to F you up.” And that scared the shit out of me! My stunt double was standing next to me and said, “Marshawn, it's only a movie. Please don't do that.” And he says, “Who are you?” He goes, "I'm his stunt double." He goes, "Well, I'm going to F you up, too!” That scared the both of us. But honestly, when we did the fight, when we locked hands and arms, he could not be more nice. Believe it or not, even though I don't think he's done something like this before, every punch that he threw was very controlled. He's very good at it.

Ke Huy Quan Was Especially Qualified to Lead 'Love Hurts'

"Because of my background, I was able to be part of that creative process in designing these fights."

Talk a little bit about the fact that you were uniquely suited to do this role. After you left Hollywood, talk a little bit about what you did and how it was basically the reason you could do this role.

QUAN: I love the action genre, especially those action movies that came out of Hong Kong in the early '80s with Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. That's what really influenced me to study martial arts. I have a black belt in taekwondo. When I was young, I was so excited. I wanted to show the world what I can do. But back then, Hollywood wasn't interested in hiring somebody that looks like me to be an action star, so I was lucky to be able to use those skills that I acquired as an action choreographer working behind the camera on movies like X-Men and The One. All that knowledge I gained from working behind the camera was really advantageous on this movie.

We do have an incredible team. 87North Productions is so good at making these types of movies. Our director, Jonathan Eusebio, is a veteran. He's been doing this for more than 20 years. Our second unit director, Can Aydin, and his guys. I've been there. We understand this language and I really trusted them. Also, because of my background, I was able to be part of that creative process in designing these fights. From the very beginning, I knew I wanted to do it all by myself and also to make each one different and to put in a narrative. One fight in particular that I'm very proud of is the kitchen fight with Marshawn. It's great. There's some new stuff in it. For example, the cookie cutter as a weapon.

Which is great.

QUAN: Also, to be able to have that fight all about Marvin Gable holding on to that certificate he got from Cliff, played by Sean Aston. Then you see the tug of war between him holding on to his current life and these assassins trying to drag him back into his past.

That was Jackie Chan-esque.

QUAN: His movies really influence these fights.

One of the things that I really was impressed with is the fact that it is you and there are longer takes. There are master shots where you're clearly doing stuff. It's refreshing that it is not a stunt guy doing half the stuff.

QUAN: That was by design in the very beginning. We were talking about what kind of movie we wanted to make, and there's something really special when you can, one, see it's the actors doing the fight, and two, you can see the geography and, very clearly, all the different moves. We had a great time doing them, but also very challenging. It was exhausting. Honestly, I got so many bruises and aches and pains. In the middle of the movie, I thought, "This will be my last action movie." But after I've seen it, now I can't wait to do another one.

Key Huy Quan Calls 'Electric State' "Epic"

He also teases his role in Zootopia 2!

I'm a big fan of the Russo Brothers, so touch on who you play in Electric State and what's up with that wig? And also, your role in Zootopia 2, because I really enjoyed the first Zootopia.

QUAN: First of all, when you watch the movie Electric State, you'll understand why I have that hair. I had a wonderful time making it. It's epic. I don't want to say too much because we're not there yet. It's coming out in March.

Zootopia. I mean, come on. How cool is that? This is the year of the snake, and I play Gary the Snake! [Laughs]

Have you recorded all your lines?

QUAN: We’re working on it right now, and I can tell you it is incredible. I'm having so much fun.

I really can't wait. I'm so happy for you. I wish you nothing but the best.

QUAN: Thank you so much. I'm a fan of Collider!

Love Hurts is in theaters now.