We came to Los Angeles in 1979 and fate had it that in 1983 Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were looking for a Chinese child to star in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” They went to Hong Kong, Singapore, London, San Francisco, New York, and were about to give up when the casting director said they should give Chinatown a try.
So Spielberg and Lucas held an open casting at our elementary school. My brother’s teacher thought he should audition, so I kind of went along, and while he was auditioning, I coached him on what to say and do. The casting director saw me and said, “Would you like to try it?” I thought I was doing terrible.
Did you even know who Harrison Ford was?
New. I didn’t see “Star Wars” or “Raiders of the Lost Ark” until after we finished the movie. But he was a great guy. So down to earth, so humble and really generous as an actor. And he taught me to swim. We were just chilling by the pool in Sri Lanka at our hotel, and he says, “Ke, do you know how to swim?” I didn’t, so he says, “Come on, I’ll teach you.”
A year later you’re in ‘The Goonies’, another big hit.
Yes, that was another great adventure. But I didn’t grow up wanting to be an actor. However, as I got older, when I realized I wanted to do this, there just weren’t many offers. When it came, the role was very stereotypical, and every Asian in Hollywood was fighting for it.