Ke Huy Quan was surprised when he received a residual check for his debut film, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The actor has always fondly spoken about starring in the movie as a 12-year-old. Even during his acceptance speech for the Academy Award for Everything Everywhere All at Once, he did not forget to mention Steven Spielberg.

He expressed his gratitude to the director for allowing him to debut as a child. Every memory of the movie is special for the actor, including the one when he received a $100K residual check. Huy Quan looked back at the memoir and recalled that at the time, he was not even aware of the concept of a residual check.

Ke Huy Quan, in his memoir Never Say Die, spoke about the time when he starred in Steven Spielberg's movie. Speaking of that time, he wrote in his memoir about receiving his first residual check and was amazed to find out its meaning. He narrated the moment when he found his parents in the kitchen eagerly waiting for him, along with an envelope with his name on it.

“They handed everything to me. It was a check from Lucasfilm. It was for almost $100,000, an amount that didn’t make any sense to me,” he wrote.

He went on to add that he was baffled to have received money even after his base salary for the film. But as he understood the system, he praised the gesture by the directors Spielberg and George Lucas. He wrote in his book that the sequel was a huge hit and he was glad to have been included for the residual check.

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Since then, he has continued to show why he is an extraordinary talent by winning an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and praise from his co-stars and fans. However, there were times when he had hurdles and uncomfortable moments, such as when he received a rude comment from an actor. 

Ke Huy Quan, in his memoir Never Say Die, wrote about a shocking incident that took place during the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2023. He went up to another well-known actor for a picture. As he made a playful pose for the picture, the actor had simply told him that he would not win. 

"You're not going to win tonight with that stupid face," he recalled the actor's words.

He opened up about how, throughout the event, he tried to avoid thinking about the incident. But soon that same night, Huy Quan proved the actor wrong. He won the award that night. That just explains his grit and hard work, and more about his time in the entertainment world is explored in the inspiring book.

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What do you think about Ke Huy Quan's story about his first residual check? Let us know in the comments.