Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan was honored with the Gold House Leading Man award at the second annual Gold House Gold Gala on Saturday in Los Angeles.
“When I think of a leading man, I think of someone who is six feet tall with big muscles, good-looking, and a ladies’ man,” the “Everything Everywhere All at Once” star said before cracking, “That practically screams me, right?”
While the gala honored the most impactful Asians on the company’s A100 list, which recognizes the 100 AAPI individuals who impacted American culture and society in the last year, the night remained focused on celebrating Asian visibility and achievements. There was little talk of the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike currently impacting the industry.
As Quan’s “Everything Everywhere All At Once” co-star Stephanie Hsu celebrated her upcoming film “Joy Ride,” she shouted “WGA Strong” when thanking director Adele Lim, writer Teresa Hsiao and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong.
Quan delivered an impassioned speech. “When you imagine a winner, I don’t fit the mold, I finally realized that winners don’t always have to look the same,” he said. “You can also win too, if you just believe in yourself.”
He was met with rapturous applause in a room that included Harry Shum Jr., Destin Daniel Cretton, Eva Longoria, Awkwafina, the cast of “Queer Eye” and Tony Award winner Lea Salonga.
Actor and producer Sandra Oh was presented with the SeeHer award, the highest recognition for artists who advocate for gender equality and portray characters with authenticity, defy stereotypes and push boundaries in front of and behind the camera.
“I’ve spent my whole career trying to accomplish the name of this honor, not only for myself but for others,” Oh said.
She continued, “I used to think seeing myself meant seeing myself or ourselves on screen, but it’s actually much more than that. I think the search for what it is to be seen is a deeply personal journey and cannot be satisfied or found by simply seeing ourselves on screen. I think true change and transformation must be initiated from that person or place because truly being seen is not limited to our eyes.”
Sandra Oh and Ashley Park at the Gold Gala by Gold House held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on May 6, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Mark Von Holden for Variety
The evening, hosted in collaboration with Meta, also saw Brie Larson present the New Gold award to her “The Marvels” co-star Iman Vellani.
There was an emotional resonance in the room as the Gold Generation award was presented to the cast and creators of “The Joy Luck Club.” Executive Producer and AMPAS president Janet Yang led the reunion with actors Ming-Na Wen, Rosalind Chao, Lauren Tom, Tamlyn Tomita and Lisa Lu.
Gold House also unveiled a suite of new initiatives to further its focus on uniting, promoting and investing in API creatives and companies. Held at the Jerry Moss Plaza at the Music Center, the night was kicked off by Gold House CEO Bing Chen announcing the Gold Bridge initiative. He said, “Gold Bridge is defined by three elements; bridging industries from content to commerce, bridging communities by showing how we can give a damn and invest in other multicultural groups, and we’re going to bridge continents.”