Ke Huy Quan Recounts Hollywood Fall and Resurrection in Memoir Never Say Die
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Client: Ke Huy Quan – Author
Ke Huy Quan is sharing his story on the page.The Oscar-winning actor, 54, will publish his memoir, Never Say Die, this fall — and PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the cover.The book recounts Quan’s Hollywood journey, which began five years after his family escaped communist-ruled Northern Vietnam and began a new life in Los Angeles’ Chinatown neighborhood. Quan went to an open call audition, and landed his first role at age 12, opposite Harrison Ford in Steven Spielberg’s 1984 film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. One year later, Quan would star in another ‘80s classic, The Goonies.But after a few years, Quan couldn’t find work in the industry, and left acting for behind-the-scenes odd jobs. He didn’t return to the spotlight until he was 49, and took a role in the film Everything Everywhere All at Once — an acclaimed box office triumph that would earn Quan the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Never Say Die tracks Quan’s "early rise, slow fall from the spotlight [and] the resilience that kept him going through his darkest times,” along with his path toward stardom again, according to the book's synopsis.
“I saw this image of a crowded intersection on Instagram once, showing thought bubbles of what each person is going through beneath the surface,” Quan tells PEOPLE of the memoir’s inception. “It made me think about how little we know about each other.”
“Writing this book is my way of sharing what was happening in my life when I stayed quiet,” he continues. “I hope it helps someone see their own story more clearly and with greater compassion. And that it also reminds them that every person they pass has a story, and to be a little kinder because of it.”
In 2024, Quan spoke with PEOPLE about adjusting to life following his Oscar victory, explaining that he was “still getting used to it.”
“For a long time, my internal narrative was very different,” the actor said. “My internal narrative for a long time was that I always felt like I wasn’t doing good enough.”
“Ever since I won the Oscar, that narrative is slowly changing. I feel like maybe I belong here, maybe I can do this and it's heading that direction.”Never Say Die will be published on Sept. 15 via Grand Central Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.