Was Ke Huy Quan a menace on the set of Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom? Of course not! Have you seen this man? He’s adorable! However, according to Quan, he did give his Temple co-star, Kate Capshaw, a black eye during the film’s production.
Quan self-reported the incident in his new memoir Never Say Die, writing that Spielberg “wasn’t afraid to be playful” and his energy was infectious. “People worked hard, but there was always time to laugh,” Quan recalls in his new book.
An Ice Cream Prank Gone Right
In the book, Quan admits to a prank gone wrong on the Temple of Doom set. According to the Oscar-winning actor, he joined Harrison Ford and Kate Capshaw in a prank that found them surprising Spielberg with ice cream smeared on their faces for a single take. The director thought it was hilarious, but a few days later, a real accident on set set the stage for Spielberg’s next move.
“A few days later, Steven pulled another prank, this time on Kate,” Quan continues, referring to an incident that was actually initiated by his own accidental misstep.
A Flying Splinter and a Perfect Black Eye
“During one of the mine scenes, I accidentally snapped a piece of balsa wood, and it flew off and hit Kate right in the face. It was so light, she was fine, but the next morning she showed up with the most perfect black eye I’d ever seen. I felt awful,” he writes.
Steven Spielberg’s 50-Person Cover-Up
To help soften the blow and save Quan from too much guilt and embarrassment, Spielberg devised a heartfelt way to let the young actor know that all was forgiven. The filmmaker also wanted Capshaw to feel like she wasn’t alone in showing a bit of “battle damage” during the filming.
“Before she arrived, Steven had Harrison and me, the entire crew—the grips, the production assistants, and everyone else—paint matching black eyes in the exact same spot,” writes Quan.
“When Kate walked onto the set and saw fifty people staring back at her with the same bruise, she froze for a second and then burst out laughing. Steven was behind the monitor, grinning.”
Quan recalls the moment as “silly.” “But underneath the joke was something I didn’t fully understand yet.”
To read more about Quan’s incredible journey, check out his new memoir, Never Say Die, available wherever books are sold.
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