In his acceptance speech after winning Best Supporting Actor, Ke Huy Quan gave a serious and emotional speech about never giving up on your dreams again.
The former child star, who has been working behind the camera for years after roles dried up for him, tearfully thanked his mother for getting him started.
“My mother is 84 years old and she is taking care of it at home,” she said. “Mom, I just won an Oscar.”
He also thanked him for his sacrifices and mentioned his status as a former refugee.
“My journey began on a ship. “I spent a year in a refugee camp and somehow I ended up here on the biggest stage in Hollywood,” Guan said. “They say that such things only happen in movies. I can’t believe this is happening to me. This is the American dream.”
He also paid tribute to his wife, Echo, who “told me month after month, year after year for 20 years that one day my time would come.”
“Dreams are something you have to believe in. I almost gave up on my dream,” he said. “To all of you out there, keep your dreams alive.”
Earlier on the red carpet, Guan mentioned that his family, including his brother, whom he thanked, traveled from Houston to support him on Oscar night.
The actor has been an award season favorite as the comeback story of the year, bringing many to tears with each win.