MCU newcomer Ke Huy Quan let fans in on an unforgettable experience he had working with Tom Hiddleston on Loki Season 2.
Bringing back the entire core cast of Loki Season 1, this next six-episode story is set to pull back the curtains on more of the Multiverse as the God of Mischief tries to hold back the tidal wave of chaos coming to the MCU. And with Hiddleston being one of the franchises' longest-standing veterans, he remains grateful for the opportunity to keep playing Loki long after first arriving in 2011's Thor.
During filming for Season 2, Hiddleston shared how emotional he was after filming for the first season ended, expressing a "feeling of relief [and] gratitude" that everybody felt after completing such a difficult challenge.
And now, while fans wait for Season 2 to begin airing, one of Hiddleston's newest co-stars shed some light on just how passionate the Loki star truly is about his own work and the entire world of movies.
Tom Hiddleston's Welcoming Nature on Loki Set
Speaking with Josh Horowitz on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Loki Season 2 star Ke Huy Quan opened up about his experience working with Tom Hiddleston on the set of the MCU Disney+ show.
When asked what kind of questions Hiddleston asked Quan upon working together, the former Indiana Jones star called Hiddleston "one of the kindest, generous" actors he's ever worked with:
"Well, first of all, I love Tom Hiddleston. One of the kindest, generous… one of the most talented actor I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. I had an amazing time shooting Loki Season 2 with him, and with Owen Wilson, and our entire cast. It was incredible. There was one day we were filming and… I have to think carefully now before I get into trouble with Marvel…"
Quan recalled Hiddleston finding something on set one day before he said he "cannot believe (he's) working with Short Round," referencing Quan's memorable role in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. He later asked if anybody captured the moment on camera, making both of them burst out into laughter as Quan expressed hope to see Hiddleston and the crew again:
"There was one particular day of shooting, and he found something on set, and he said… he saw it and he said, ‘Oh my gosh, I cannot believe I’m working with Short Round from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.’ And he was so cute, and so kind, and I was so excited, and I said, ’Oh my god, did anybody get that on tape? Please tell me somebody got that on tape! He was incredible. We laughed so hard and… I didn’t want that shoot to end. So hopefully we will go back for some more… reshoots. I don’t know when, but I can’t wait to see all of them again.”
Quan also spoke on getting the opportunity to be in the business again after nearly 20 years, noting how his first audition was for Short Round and how he "started at the very top." He expressed his gratitude for the chance to be in the critical hit movie Everything Everywhere All at Once from 2022, although he was worried that this would be the end for him after that movie:
“… It was kind of like deja vu for me, honestly, because my first audition ever was for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, right? And I got that and then of course, I started at the very top and there was nowhere to go but downhill from there, right? … But, you know, that was 38 years ago. And then 38 years later, I was given this incredible opportunity [with Everything Everywhere All at Once] that I’m so grateful for. And afterwards, I was like, ‘Wow, is that it? I mean, did I just luck out with that?’ And then, you know, ‘I’m not going to be able to get another job.’ That was the fear that was going through my mind during the pandemic."
He then noted how the first call he got after Everything Everywhere All at Once was from Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, who asked him if he wanted to join the MCU before things all turned around for him:
"I was miserable. I couldn’t go out and I couldn’t land a single job. And I even made a joke with the Daniels and our producer and I said, ’Nobody wants to hire me except Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Wong Kar-wai, and the Daniels. And when [Everything Everywhere All at Once] came out, the first phone call I got was from Kevin Feige, who graciously asked me if I wanted to join the MCU… and I called [producer] Jonathan [Wang]… and I said, ‘You know what, nobody wants to hire me except [those names]… and Kevin Feige.’ (laughs) But oh my god, it’s just been incredible… 2022 is the year that I will always, always remember because it’s one of the happiest years of my life."
Quan admitted that he's not sure if his role will continue into later MCU projects, although he made it clear that he's been a big MCU fan since the original Iron Man while praising the efforts of Loki Season 1 on Disney+:
"I don’t know. I really don’t know. That is a question that you would have to ask Kevin Feige. All I can say is that I had the most amazing time and… I’m so grateful for it. I’ve been a fan of a lot of Marvel movies, dating back to the first one, Iron Man. And when Loki Season 1 came out, I thought it was one of the most creative television shows ever made and I was instantly a big fan. So when I got that call from Kevin Feige to join Season 2, oh my gosh… I was jumping up with joy."
The Loki star shared his appreciation for Marvel casting director Sarah Halley Finn, calling casting directors "the unsung heroes of (the) business" after working with her on Everything Everywhere All at Once as well:
"I’m so grateful to Sarah Finn, our casting director. And I really think casting directors are the unsung heroes of our business. They are the gatekeepers, and you know, I remember the day when I went into Sarah Finn’s office to audition for her and the Daniels for Everything Everywhere All at Once. And it was also her that suggested to Kevin Feige for me for Loki Season 2, so I owe that woman a huge debt and I’m really grateful to her."
Loki Star Showing Fan Card for New MCU Co-Star
Tom Hiddleston has been a fan-favorite amongst MCU viewers for more than a decade, and it's clear that he's just as popular amongst his coworkers with the passion he shows on set. He's never afraid to share how much he respects and loves his co-stars, and with Ke Huy Quan's experience on set, it appears that this trend showed no signs of stopping.
Quan's experience is particularly heartwarming with Hiddleston sharing his adoration for the Indiana Jones franchise, sharing one of his own childhood memories with an actor who played such a big part in the story.
How the two work together in Loki is still a mystery, although the show's first trailer from San Diego Comic-Con 2022 showed a hint of what Quan will be doing in the Time Variance Authority's records department. Following that will be a wild adventure all throughout time and space, and with Quan's return to glory, he's sure to be somebody fans watch out for as the Phase 5 series evolves.
Loki Season 2 will begin streaming on Disney+ this summer.
