For some fans of “The Goonies,” star Ke Huy Quan’s hand and footprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Monday was a “Data” remember.
The Oscar winner — who starred as gadget whiz Richard “Data” Wang in “The Goonies” — on Monday placed his prints in the renowned cement slabs, joining the ranks of Hollywood names memorialized at the landmark “The Forecourt of the Stars.” For Quan, the ceremony fulfilled a “crazy dream.”
“Dreams are weird, aren’t they? They have a way of planting themselves quietly and surviving on hope, even when reality tries to uproot them,” he said. “And then one day they bloom in ways we never expected.”
The ceremony for the “Love Hurts” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” actor was a trip down memory lane that featured appearances by several special guests — including those from Quan’s early acting years. “Goonies” stars Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Kerri Green, Corey Feldman and screenwriter Chris Columbus turned out in Hollywood to help celebrate Quan’s milestone, which coincides with the 40th anniversary of their 1985 adventure classic.
“You’re here and you’re doing something that I thought stopped in the ‘40s,” Brolin joked to Quan during his speech on Monday, according to footage shared by Maximo TV.
Brolin continued:”Obviously they brought it back for somebody super special, and that’s you. I hold you in a very dear place in my heart.”
In his speech, “Dune” star Brolin shared a letter from “Goonies” co-writer and directing legend Steven Spielberg, who he said couldn’t make the ceremony because he was on vacation. “‘Ke, as always, I’m proud of you for your meteoric rise as a child and then your second meteoric rise as a grown-up,’” Brolin read.
The letter continued: “Ke, you will always have my love, you will always have my respect and you will always be part of my movie family and my personal family in real life.”
In “The Goonies,” one of his earliest acting credits, a 13-year-old Quan portrayed the crafty Data who helps his friends locate a hidden pirate treasure and save their neighborhood from foreclosure. Quan, before his Hollywood comeback in recent years, was also known for his work as Short Round in Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and various roles in “Encino Man,” TV series “Head of the Class” and “Nothing Is Easy,” among other credits.
He faced several dry periods during his career and returned to the big screen after nearly 20 years with “Finding ‘Ohana” and directors Daniels’ — Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheiner — “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” For Quan, the latter proved life-changing.
In 2023, Quan won his first career Oscar and several acting opportunities followed. He starred in Disney+’s “American Born Chinese” and Marvel series “Loki,” and is the leading man in this month’s action comedy “Love Hurts.”
During his speech, Quan recalled striving for his own Hollywood imprints after seeing Spielberg and George Lucas get theirs in 1984. Finally reveling in his own Chinese Theatre celebration, Quan said Monday was a “surreal full-circle moment.”
“Thank you so much for bringing me back,” he told filmmaker duo Daniels. Quan, who held back tears during his speech, also thanked his family who has “shown me what it means to never give up.”
“This moment isn’t just about leaving my markings in that,” he said, “it’s about honoring the people who have always believed in me when I couldn’t always believe in myself.”
“Love Hurts,” which also stars Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu, Sean Astin (also Quan’s “Goonies co-star) and Marshawn Lynch, premiered at the Chinese Theatre on Monday evening. The film from director Jonathan Eusebio hits theaters Friday.