Maxance Vincent
Ke Huy Quan has had quite the comeback since winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once last year. Not only will he lead a movie for the first time next year with the action picture With Love, which will co-star Ariana DeBose, but he has also joined the biggest media franchise out there, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which was at the top of his list when he resumed acting, as he tells Awards Radar during a Zoom press day.
It was also a reunion between himself and Kevin Feige, as the Oscar-winning actor worked on the original X-Men as an assistant fight choreographer. It was also Feige’s first job within the Marvel sandbox as an associate producer before the MCU was ever a thing. In reuniting twenty-two years later with the brainchild of the biggest film and television franchise in the world, Quan explained that it was an incredible moment:
“In 2000, it was my first job right out of film school. I remember meeting Kevin, who was an associate producer at that time. We got along great. Every time we talk about Marvel, whether it be the X-Men or any character in that world, you would see this big smile, this energy, and this passion in him. You were so eager to tell him anything. Even back then, he knew so much. He was a walking encyclopedia of this universe. That was my first exposure to being on set in that universe, even behind the camera. I have always wanted to work with him again because I admire him and all those wonderful movies he’s made with Marvel Studios. Little did I know that I had to wait twenty-two years. We would see each other at events once in a long while. I always wanted and hoped he would one day invite me to join the family. It came true for me in 2022. After I decided to become an actor again, joining the MCU family was at the very top of my list, so I was super happy.”
When reading the script, Quan states that he immediately fell in love with the character of Ouroboros, saying, “He was funny, quirky, and so smart. He has a vast knowledge of how the TVA works, but he doesn’t necessarily have all the answers, making him very human and relatable. I fell in love with him and could not believe I was gifted this incredible opportunity to play him. I remember watching season one during the pandemic and thinking it was one of the best television shows, so being invited to be a part of season two was really exciting.”
In building OB’s chemistry with Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Mobius (Owen Wilson), Quan admits that he didn’t have much time to prepare for the role after finishing American Born Chinese, but Tom Hiddleston gave him some encouraging words while the two were rehearsing with Owen Wilson for the character’s introduction scene:
“When I got to London, I had just finished American Born Chinese for Disney+. I read the script but didn’t have time to prepare. The next day, I went to a rehearsal with Tom, Owen, Kevin Wright, and the writers. The scene we rehearsed was the very first scene where OB is introduced. I remember doing a really bad job, jumping over the lines, and my line reading was bad. I looked up and saw everybody’s reaction, and I think they were worried that they had cast the wrong guy. I went to Tom, sitting next to me, and told him, “Oh, my god, I’m so sorry. I will do a lot better, trust me.” Tom was so sweet and said, “Ke, you are great. Don’t worry. You’re perfect for this role.” On the first day of production, we shot the scene where Mobius and Loki walk into the repairs and advancement department, and we see OB coming down from the ceiling. After the first shot, Tom approached me and said, “Ke, that was great. You’re incredible.” He was so kind with his words and flattery that I was very moved, and that’s why everybody loved him so much.”
During our audio conversation, seen below, we also discussed developing the contrasting personalities of OB and A.D. Doug while also talking about mastering the more technical aspects of OB’s exposition-driven dialogue and if playing Waymond Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once helped with understanding the concept of multiversal storytelling. After professing my love of both Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies, which truly solidified my love of cinema at an early age, Quan also discussed an inspiration he had in approaching the character of Ouroboros, which occurred after he stepped on the Roger Moore set at Pinewood Studios.
You can listen to the full interview below and stream all episodes of Loki – Season 2 on Disney+ today:
[Some of the quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity]
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