In his new film Love Hurts, Oscar-winning actor Ke Huy Quan finds himself in the unfamiliar position of lead actor in an action comedy. While the film provides a new acting challenge, it also brings his career full circle, as it reunited him with some of his co-stars from The Goonies forty years after they made the 1980s classic. In a new interview with THR, Quan detailed how the film brought Data and Mikey together again.
While Love Hurts isn’t the Goonies sequel fans have been hoping for, it will still bring nostalgia for fans of the 1985 adventure. According to Quan, while discussing casting possibilities for the role of Cliff, who plays the boss of Quan’s character, producers mentioned Sean Astin as a possibility. “When I heard (Astin’s name), I said ‘Oh my God, we have to make that happen,'” he recalled. Astin was up for a Data/Mikey reunion, although Quan says he tried to make his appearance a surprise.
“I actually texted Sean…and I said, ‘Hey, buddy, it’s been 40 years since we’ve shared the screen together. It would be incredible to be able to do it again.’ And he didn’t respond!…He responded by saying yes to production and letting me find out about it that way. So it was such a lovely surprise, and I think he was trying to keep the suspense. I was just waiting in anticipation, and then the producer called me and said, ‘Sean is in!’ And I said, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s incredible!'”
Love Hurts Casts Ke Huy Quan as an Action Hero
Even better, on the day the scene was filmed, a third Goonie showed up to watch the filming. Jeff Cohen played Truffle Shuffle dance enthusiast Chunk in the film, but he left acting soon after. He became an entertainment lawyer, and Quan is one of his clients. Although he doesn’t appear in the film, his presence, along with filming his scene with Sean Astin, made the experience unforgettable for Quan.
“It felt like it did as kids on the set of The Goonies,” he said. “And that’s also what it felt like when I did my scenes with Sean…I was looking at Mikey again, and I believe he was looking at Data again. So it was one of the happiest shoot days that I’ve ever had.”
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Despite a recent viral report, The Goonies will remain a standalone adventure.
In Love Hurts, Quan plays Marvin Gable, one of the most successful real estate agents in Milwaukee. He has a dark secret in his past, however. He was once a hitman, and when his former partner (played by West Side Story’s Ariana DuBose) resurfaces, loose ends are about to make his life miserable. His hopes for a peaceful life are dashed when his brother (played by Westworld’s Daniel Wu), a crime boss, comes after him for betraying his trust.
The film marks the directorial debut of Jonathan Eusebio, who had previously worked as a stunt performer and fight choreographer on films like Deadpool 2, The Expendables, and the first three John Wick movies. His focus on next-level fight choreography led Quan to ask that he perform his own stunts, to ensure authenticity.
“It was exhausting, mentally and physically, and I was bruised every single day when we were making this movie,” he said of his experience. “I hope that all the effort that we put into this movie will resonate with the audience when they watch it.”
Love Hurts (2025)
- Release Date
- February 7, 2025
- Director
- JoJo Eusebio