Quan wrote in his new memoir that Ford felt like “an older brother” while they filmed the “Indiana Jones” sequel.

Steven Spielberg used Ke Huy Quan to get Harrison Ford out of ‘a bad mood’ on Temple of Doom set

Quan wrote in his new memoir that Ford felt like “an older brother” while they filmed the “Indiana Jones” sequel.

By Shelby Stivale

Shelby Stivale

Shelby Stivale is a senior writer at **. She has been working at EW since July 2026. Her work has previously appeared on Us Weekly and J-14.

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September 15, 2026 8:00 a.m. ET

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Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones and Ke Huy Quan as Short Round in ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’. Credit:

Paramount Pictures

- Ke Huy Quan reflected on his relationship with Harrison Ford on the *Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom *set in his *Never Say Die* memoir.

- Steven Spielberg used Quan to cheer up Ford when the actor was in “a bad mood” on set.

- Quan made his Hollywood debut as Short Round in the 1984 film.

Ke Huy Quan discovered Steven Spielberg’s technique for raising Harrison Ford’s spirits on the *Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom** *set “years after” shooting the movie.

“Whenever he was in a bad mood, Steven would tell someone, ‘Send Ke over.’ I had no idea any of that was happening,” the actor wrote in his *Never Say Die *memoir, published on Sept. 15. “I just knew that whenever I walked up, Harrison softened a little or said, ‘Hey, kid,’ in that warm way he had.”

Quan added, “I didn’t think of it as cheering him up. I just liked being near him, and he made me feel like he liked having me around too.”

Ke Huy Quan and Harrison Ford attend the ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ premiere in 2023.

Charley Gallay/Getty

Quan made his Hollywood debut as Short Round in the 1984 *Indiana Jones* sequel. The actor reflected on his relationship with Ford at length in the book, writing that being around the acting legend was “like tagging along with an older brother.” (Quan and Ford famously reunited at D23 in 2023.)

“Harrison had a different type of presence. He had a calm, steady way about him, like he was never in a hurry,” Quan recalled. “The way he handled the heat. The long days. The chaos of filming. He made all of it look simple, like being Indiana Jones wasn’t something he had to act. It was just who he was.”

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The Oscar winner remembered one day on set when he stumbled across Ford practicing with Indy’s whip. Ford was quick to let the then-young Quan try it out.

“The whip was heavier than I’d expected. When I swung it, it barely made a sound. Harrison laughed, not at me, but in a way that sounded like he was having fun,” Quan wrote. “I tried again, and the whip snapped a little louder. Not great, but better. Harrison nodded with approval. It was moments like that that made me love spending time with him.”

The *Everything Everywhere All at Once* actor penned happy memories about filming *Temple of Doom*, but there was one scene that became quite overwhelming for Quan. When the actor broke down in tears on set after the tense “mine-cart” scene, Ford was there to comfort him.

Ke Huy Quan reflects on relationship with Harrison Ford in his ‘Never Say Die’ memoir.

Grand Central Publishing / Hachette Book Group

Per Quan (and for those who haven’t seen the movie), his character is being pulled by Indy on one side and “the bad guys on the other.” Short Round gets pulled into Indy’s cart at the last second, before “slamming into the wall.” Things went fine until something “was off” for Quan during their final take.

“It seemed to be taking too long for Harrison to pull me in,” Quan wrote. “I watched the wall coming toward me, closer and closer, and my body went into full panic before my brain could remind me it was pretending.”

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Eventually, he felt “a strong tug” and was safe inside one of the carts. He added, “My face felt wet, and it took me a second to realize I’d been crying.” Ford got “serious” when confronting Quan in that moment.

“He said my name softly, the way someone does when they’re trying to pull you back to yourself. And when he saw I was still shaking, he opened his arms a little, just enough for me to lean in. So I did,” the actor shared. “I wrapped my arms around him, and he held me for a moment, not rushing it, not embarrassed, not telling me to be brave or toughen up. Just staying with me until I calmed down.”

*Never Say Die* is out now.

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