In 'Love Hurts,' Ke Huy Quan finally gets his lead role

Actor Ke Huy Quan is finally front and center after almost four decades in the entertainment industry, a few blockbuster hits and an Oscar under his belt.

Actor Ke Huy Quan is finally front and center after almost four decades in the entertainment industry, a few blockbuster hits and an Oscar under his belt.

Quan stars as real estate agent Marvin Gable in the action-comedy film “Love Hurts,” which debuted in theaters Friday. It’s the first leading role for Quan, who returned to acting after a near 20-year hiatus for his Academy Award-winning performance in the 2022 film “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” It’s new territory for him, but he says he’s approaching it all with a sense of humility, taking cues from some seasoned pros. 

“I had the good fortune of working with wonderful people, like Harrison Ford or Tom Hiddleston, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michelle Yeoh. They’ve all been No. 1 on the call sheet before,” Quan told NBC News. “I just see how they carry themselves and how they treat the entire cast and crew and making everyone feel welcome … so I put that pressure on myself. I feel the responsibility.” 

In the new movie, Quan’s character, Marvin, is a seemingly wholesome real estate agent in Milwaukee, who gets ripped from his peaceful life of sales and open house showings. He’s thrown back into his assassin past when Rose, his vengeful former partner-in-crime, played by Ariana DeBose, re-emerges. Marvin previously worked for his brother and mob boss Knuckles, played by Daniel Wu, and years ago was ordered to kill Rose for stealing from the operation. But his love for her kept him from following through. With Rose on the scene once again, chaos unfolds and Knuckles attempts to hunt Marvin down. 

For Quan, the role is very much part of what he called the second era of his Hollywood career. The first took place almost 40 years ago as he played major roles in 1980s classics like “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “The Goonies.” While acting opportunities cooled for him after that, he opted to work behind the camera as a stunt choreographer and assistant director, often abroad. He said he hopes this new stage in his career can be seen as an example of perseverance by other Asian Americans like him. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/ke-huy-quan-love-hurts-lead-role-rcna191484

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