Ke Huy Quan Teases His Tell-All Memoir: ‘The Path Is Not Always Straight’ (Exclusive)

The Oscar-winning actor’s memoir, ‘Never Say Die,’ will be published on Sept. 15

NEED TO KNOW

• Ke Huy Quan teased his upcoming memoir, Never Say Die, while speaking with PEOPLE at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event on Aug. 14
• The Oscar-winning actor said he hopes his personal story reminds people that “the path is not always straight” in life
• Never Say Die will be published on Sept. 15

Ke Huy Quan is sharing what he hopes readers take away from his upcoming memoir, Never Say Die.

The book, set to be published on Sept. 15, recounts the Oscar-winning actor’s Hollywood journey, which began five years after his family escaped communist-ruled Northern Vietnam and started a new life in Los Angeles’ Chinatown neighborhood. It tracks Quan’s “early rise, slow fall from the spotlight [and] the resilience that kept him going through his darkest times,” along with his path toward stardom again, according to the memoir’s synopsis.

Quan, 55, famously landed his first acting role at the age of 12, sharing the screen with Harrison Ford in Steven Spielberg’s 1984 film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. He then went on to star in 1985’s The Goonies.

However, after a few years, Quan struggled to find work in the industry, so he left acting for behind-the-scenes odd jobs. He remained out of the spotlight until he was 49, when he took a role in the critically acclaimed film Everything Everywhere All at Once, earning him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2023.

Speaking with PEOPLE exclusively at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, Calif., on Aug. 14, Quan shared what motivated him to put his personal story down on the page.

“One of the reasons why I wanted to write this memoir is that I think a lot of people have dreams that they feel they have missed a chance at,” he said. “And I hope that my story reminds them that the path is not always straight. And sometimes the things that they love will find their way back to them.”

“So hopefully people will like it,” Quan continued. “I’m very excited and also very nervous at the same time because writing this book was really difficult. It’s not something that I’m comfortable with, but hopefully the readers know it.”

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The Loki star previously recalled to PEOPLE how an image he came across on social media also sparked his desire to open up and share his story.

“I saw this image of a crowded intersection on Instagram once, showing thought bubbles of what each person is going through beneath the surface,” he explained back in April. “It made me think about how little we know about each other.”

“Writing this book is my way of sharing what was happening in my life when I stayed quiet,” he continued. “I hope it helps someone see their own story more clearly and with greater compassion. And that it also reminds them that every person they pass has a story, and to be a little kinder because of it.”

Elsewhere during his conversation with PEOPLE at D23, Quan spoke about his experience voicing the character of Gary De’Snake in Zootopia 2, a role he is reprising in the upcoming third installment of the animated movie franchise.

“Because it was my first time and I’m new to this. I was actually really nervous and I didn’t know what to expect,” Quan — who was joined by costar Ginnifer Goodwin during the interview — recalled of stepping into the recording booth for the first time.

He continued, “Honestly, it was such a brand new experience for me, and I loved it because voice acting is using your voice and imagination to create all these incredible, incredible things. And I loved it, and I was just really grateful to be invited into this family.”

Never Say Die will be published on Sept. 15 via Grand Central Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, and is now available for preorder wherever books are sold.

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