Ke Huy Quan has recalled discovering, as a 12-year-old, that he would receive almost $100,000 in residuals from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The unexpected payment greatly helped his family and reflected what Quan described as an unusually generous arrangement by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas for a young first-time actor.

Quan said he initially did not understand how further money could arrive after his regular fee, but later recognised the residuals as a rare share of a successful film’s continuing earnings. He also credited Spielberg with launching his career, while acknowledging that he later feared his childhood success might be difficult to surpass.