Ke Huy Quan Recalls Teaching ‘Lovely’ Hugh Jackman ‘How to Throw a Punch’ onX-Men(Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Ke Huy Quan; Hugh Jackman.Photo:Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty; Cindy Ord/Getty

Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty; Cindy Ord/Getty

Ke Huy Quanlearned plenty during his20-year hiatus from acting. Among the skills acquired, he says, was working with A-list stars — and making them “look good.”

“When I was working as an action choreographer,” the Vietnamese-American star, 54, tells PEOPLE, “one of my responsibilities was to train actors how to throw a punch or do a kick and make them look good doing it on screen.”

“It was so lovely,” says the Oscar winner with a smile. “I love him so much.”

(Left-right:) Shawn Levy, Louis D’Esposito, Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Kathryn Hahn, Ke Huy Quan, David Harbour, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Simu Liu, Chris Pratt and Brie Larson at the ceremony honoring Feige with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on July 25.Charley Gallay/Getty

Charley Gallay/Getty

In the two decades before making a triumphant comeback in 2022’s hitEverything Everywhere All at Once, Quan — who initially broke out in 1984’sIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doomand 1985’sThe Goonies— struggled to land roles as an adult, instead finding work behind the camera as an action choreographer and assistant director.

“Little did I know that all those years of working, doing action was actually preparing me,” he tells PEOPLE. “I learned from the best.”

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Now that he’s starred inAmerican Born ChineseandLokiseason 2in addition toEverything Everywhere, Quan has an impressive list of costars. “I was secretly learning fromHarrison Ford, Hugh Jackman,Tom Hiddleston,Jamie Lee CurtisandMichelle Yeoh,” he rattles off.

Filming the upcoming action-comedyLove Hurts(in theaters Feb. 7, 2025), Quan had the chance to use everything he learned from those industry legends. “I tried to bring on set what they brought to set when they were number one,” he says.

Ke Huy Quan in ‘Indiana Jones and The Temple Of Doom’.Lucasfilm Ltd/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock

Lucasfilm Ltd/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock

“I’ve been so fortunate to work with wonderful actors and actors who are kind and humble and very giving. And so when I stepped on set being the lead in this movie, I wanted to make sure that everybody feels welcome and motivated to do the best work and to treat everybody like we’re just one big family,” he continues. “All that I learned from them, from Harrison, from Hugh, from Tom, from Michelle and Jamie.”

Another lesson Quan has taken with him throughout his still-expanding career came from a filmmaking legend not many can claim was their first director. “I remember the very first time I heard a filmmaker [say], ‘I always make a movie with an audience in mind.’ And that wasSteven Spielberg.”

Love Hurts, costarringAriana DeBose, Daniel Wu and Marshawn Lynch, is in theaters Feb. 7, 2025. Quan will also feature in Joe and Anthony Russo’sThe Electric State(on Netflix March 14, 2025), voice a character inZootopia 2(in theaters Nov. 26, 2025) and star in action-thrillerFairytale in New York.

source: people.com