Ke Huy Quan is looking to expand his acting horizons, aiming for a dramatic departure from his usual roles. In a recent interview with Empire, the Oscar-winning actor revealed that one of his dream roles is to portray a villain, inspired by iconic characters like the villains in the James Bond franchise or Hugh Grant’s recent performance in The Gentleman. Quan expressed his desire to step out of his comfort zone and take on a diabolical, antagonistic role, saying, “I want to go out of my comfort zone and just play this diabolical, really bad guy. That would be a lot of fun.”
Though Quan is known for his action roles, including his work as a stunt choreographer in films like X-Men (2000) and The One (2001), he is eager to avoid being typecast as just an action star. “I don’t want to be perceived as an action star,” he stated. “I hope I’m perceived as an actor who does action well.” This desire for versatility is reflected in his recent roles, such as the lovable Waymond Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once, the quirky Ouroboros in Loki, and now the character Marvin Gable in Love Hurts, a role that sees him as a retired hitman turned realtor.
Following his breakthrough win at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes, Quan will next star in Love Hurts, an action thriller directed by Jonathan Eusebio, which hits theaters on February 7. Additionally, he’s set to appear in the action-packed Fairytale in New York, a Lionsgate thriller where he plays a cab driver on a mission to retrieve stolen Christmas presents for his children, taking down a gang of criminals in the process.
It’s clear that Quan is embracing a wide range of roles and is excited about the opportunities to break new ground in his acting career.