SAG Awards 2023: Ke Huy Quan becomes first Asian male to win film acting SAG award

Ke Huy Quan poses with the awards for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role and Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” during the 29th Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, California, U.S
| Photo Credit: AUDE GUERRUCCI

The 29th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were held on Sunday night at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles to honour the year’s best acting performances and actor Ke Huy Quan created history by winning the Best Supporting actor award for his role as Waymond Wang in the film Everything Everywhere All At Once.

The win makes Quan the first Asian male to win a film acting award at the annual guild ceremony since its inception in 1994. He’s also only the second Asian actor to win any individual SAG prize in either film or television, one year after Squid Game‘s Lee Jung-jae won for male actor in a drama series, according to Variety.

During his speech, Quan said, “This is a really emotional moment for me. Recently, I was told that if I would win tonight, I would become the very first Asian actor to win in this category. When I heard this, I quickly realized that this moment no longer belongs to just me. It also belongs to everyone who has asked for change. When I stepped away from acting, it’s because there were so few opportunities.”

“Thank you to Michelle Yeoh — Michelle, I’m so glad that when we both started our careers in 1984 and that one day we would both meet on the big screen. … And lastly, to all those at home who are watching or struggling and waiting to be seen, please keep on going because the spotlight will one day find you,” he added.

Everything Everywhere All at Once dominated the evening with four wins. including the best ensemble prize. With these four wins, the film broke the SAG record for most wins by a single film at the show.