While Indiana Jones fans are looking forward to the release of the upcoming fifth film, many still fondly look back on the original trilogy from the nineties. At D23 there was a moment when Harrison Ford reunited with Short Round actor Ke Huy Quanwith whom he played together in 1984 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. An image of the reunion went viral as fans were thrilled to see the two back together after 38 years.
Looking back at the meeting for another article by New York Times reporter Kyle BuchananQuan has described exactly how this meeting came about. The actor explained how they were both at D23, which is what he was there for Everything Everywhere All at once while Ford for a Indiana Jones 5 panel. That they happened to be in the same building allowed the epic reunion to take place, but as he approached Ford, Quan couldn’t help but get nervous that he wouldn’t even be recognized after nearly 40 decades had passed.
“We’re in this green room with so many actors, producers and directors, and the person assigned to help me said, ‘Harrison Ford is just outside the green room. Would you like to go and say hi?’ I think, “Of course! I haven’t seen him in 38 years.” So I walk out and I see him talking to Phoebe Waller-Bridge about 5 meters away, they’re there promoting Indy 5. The last time he saw me I was a little kid.'”
What did Harrison Ford think of seeing Ke Huy Quan?
Fortunately, as Quan explains, Ford knew immediately who he was looking at when he saw him, greeting his old opponent with a big hug. Any fear before that disappeared when Quan was flooded with memories of his childhood when he was on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom with Ford.
“As I get closer, he turns and points his finger at me, and he has that classic, famous, grumpy Harrison Ford look. I go, ‘Oh my god, he probably thinks I’m a fan and he not going to tell me that to get near him.’ But he looks and points at me and says, ‘Are you Short Round?’ Immediately I was taken back to 1984, when I was a little kid, and I said, ‘Yeah, Indy.’ And he said, “Come here” and gave me a big hug. When I put my arms around him, all those wonderful memories I had on set came back to me. It felt so comfortable. It was amazing, and he is a wonderful man – one of the most generous men on the planet.”
The only thing that would make this reunion better is if Quan also appeared in Indiana Jones 5 for Indy and Short Round to reunite canonically as well. They may never get a chance to do this on screen now that Ford has stated that he’s done with the… Indiana Jones franchisee. But if Quan gets his wish to one day get a Short Round spin-off, then Ford might be up for a special cameo to make the moment come true.
Catch Ford’s last hurrah as Indy when Indiana Jones 5 will be released on June 30, 2023. As for Quan, you can check out if the actor will be featured in the upcoming second season of Loki on Disney+.