Ke Huy Quan thanks Steven Spielberg for discovering him in Indiana Jones after Golden Globes win

Ke Huy Quan credited his Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom director Steven Spielberg for opening doors for him in Hollywood during his 2023 Golden Globes acceptance speech.

"I was raised to never forget where I came from and to always remember who gave me my first opportunity. I'm so happy to see Steven Spielberg here tonight. Steven, thank you," Quan said as he took the stage Tuesday night to receive the Best Supporting Actor prize for his role in the 2022 hit Everything Everywhere All at Once. Spielberg looked on from the audience and blew a kiss to the former child star.

Ke Huy Quan and Steven Spielberg

He further expressed gratitude for his recent career resurgence, as Everything Everywhere All at Once marked his first major role in an American picture in nearly four decades.

"When I started my career as a child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, I felt so lucky to have been chosen. As I grew older, I started to wonder if that was it, if that was just luck," the 51-year-old continued. "For so many years, I was afraid I had nothing more to offer; no matter what I did, I would never surpass what I achieved as a kid. Thankfully, more than 30 years later, two guys thought of me. They remembered that kid, and they gave me an opportunity to try again."

Earlier on the red carpet, the actor spoke about reuniting with Spielberg (who also worked on the story for Quan's 1985 film The Goonies) on the awards trail, as the legendary director's latest project, The Fabelmans, has also earned significant praise on the circuit.

"We have Steven Spielberg here tonight, so that would be a perfect question to ask him," Quan said when Variety asked about a potential Goonies sequel. "I always want it to happen. When I was unemployed, I wanted it to happen so bad and I was hoping it would come along. We tried, honestly, we tried for so many years. I don't know if it'll ever happen or not, but fingers crossed."

Check out more from EW's The Awardist, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's best films.

Related content:

• See all the stars at the 2023 Golden Globes

• Everything to know about the 2023 Golden Globes

• HFPA in crisis: Scandals that rocked the Golden Globes over the years

• Jenna Ortega didn't ask Christina Ricci for any Wednesday Addams advice on set: 'I didn't want to rip her off'

• Golden Globes 2023: Complete list of winners