Dennis Quaid
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Dennis Quaid | |
|---|---|
 Quaid in 1991 | |
| Born | Dennis William Quaid April 9, 1954 Houston, Texas, United States |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouses |
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| Relatives | Randy Quaid (brother) |
Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor. He became known during the 1980s after appearing in several successful films, including as Mike Brody in Jaws 3-D (1983), Alex Gardner in Dreamscape (1984), Remy McSwain in The Big Easy (1987), Tuck Pendleton in Innerspace (1987), Jefferson "Jeff" Blue in Undercover Blues (1993), Bowen in Dragonheart (1996), Joe Doe/William in Gang Related (1997), Frank Towns in Flight of the Phoenix (2004), Jack Hall in The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and Reverend Shaw Moore in Footloose (2011).
Early life
Quaid was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Juanita Bonniedale "Nita" (née Jordan), a real estate agent, and William Rudy Quaid (November 21, 1923 – February 8, 1987), an electrician and a fourth cousin of Gene Autry.[1] He is the younger brother of actor Randy Quaid. Quaid has Irish and Cajun (French) ancestry.[2] He attended Pershing Middle School in Houston. He studied Chinese and dance at Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas, and later in college, at the University of Houston, under drama coach Cecil Pickett.
Career
After his brother, Randy, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Last Detail (1973), Quaid dropped out of the University of Houston before graduating and moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career of his own.[2] He initially had trouble finding work but began to gain notice when he appeared in Breaking Away (1979) and earned good reviews for his role in The Right Stuff (1983).[2]
Known for his grin,[3] Quaid has appeared in both comedic and dramatic roles.[2] Quaid had starring roles in the films Enemy Mine (1985) and Innerspace (1987). He also achieved acclaim for his portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis in Great Balls of Fire! (1989).[2]
Quaid's career lost steam in the early 1990s, after he fought anorexia nervosa and kicked a cocaine addiction.[2] He continued to garner positive reviews in a variety of films, however, such as Doc Holliday in Wyatt Earp (1994).[2] He starred in the remake of The Parent Trap (1998), playing the part of the twins' father, and as an aging pro football quarterback in Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday (1999). Some of Quaid's more recent film credits include Frequency (2000), The Rookie (2002), Far From Heaven (2002), The Flight of the Phoenix (2004), In Good Company (2004), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), Yours, Mine and Ours (2005), Vantage Point (2008), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), and Pandorum (2009).
In 2009, Quaid guest starred in an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, playing Mr. Krabs' grandfather, Captain Redbeard.
He portrayed U.S. President Bill Clinton, alongside Michael Sheen as Tony Blair and Hope Davis as Hillary Clinton, in the 2010 film The Special Relationship.
Awards
For his role in Far From Heaven (2002) he won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. He received nominations for Best Supporting Actor from the Golden Globe Awards, the Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Personal life
Quaid was raised in the Baptist faith.[4][5]
There have been extensive stories about Quaid's past abuse of cocaine. In a candid 2002 interview with Larry King on his talk show, after King asked about his motives for using drugs, Quaid responded, "Well, you got to put it in context. Back in the late '60s, early '70s. That was back during the time where, you know, drugs were going to expand our minds and everybody was experimenting and everything. We were really getting high, we didn't know it. And cocaine at that time was considered harmless. You know. I remember magazine articles in 'People' Magazine of doctors saying, it is not addicting. It is just—alcohol is worse. So I think we all fell into that. But that's not the way it was."
When asked if he believed he had ever been addicted to the drug, he responded, "It was a gradual thing. But it got to the point where I couldn't have any fun unless I had it. Which is a bad place to be." Later in the interview he said, "But I saw myself being dead in about five years if I didn't stop."[6]
Quaid and actress P.J. Soles were married on November 25, 1978. The couple were divorced on January 23, 1983. On February 14, 1991, he and Meg Ryan were married. Quaid and Ryan have a son, Jack Henry (born April 24, 1992). They were divorced on July 16, 2001. In a 2008 interview with Insight, Ryan stated "Dennis was not faithful to me for a very long time, and that was very painful. I found out more about that after I was divorced."
Quaid married Kimberly Buffington, an Austin, Texas, real-estate agent, on July 4, 2004. The couple had twins, born via a gestational carrier, on November 8, 2007, in Santa Monica, California. Their son Thomas Boone was born first at 8:26 am and weighed six pounds, twelve ounces (3.06 kg). Daughter Zoe Grace was born two minutes later weighing five pounds, nine ounces (2.52 kg).[7]
On November 18, 2007, hospital staff mistakenly gave Quaid's ten-day-old twins a dosage of heparin 1,000 times the common dosage for infants.[8][9] Their attorney said the newborns will "be fine now", but Quaid filed a lawsuit against the drug manufacturer, Baxter Healthcare, claiming that packaging for the two doses of heparin are not different enough.[10] In May 2008, the Quaids testified before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, asking U.S. Congress not to preempt the right to sue drug manufacturers for negligence under state law.[11]
In October 2009, Dennis Quaid narrowly avoided being arrested for DUI, when a police officer managed to persuade him to get out of his car and get a cab.[12]
In addition to acting, Quaid is a musician and plays with his band, the Sharks. Quaid also has a pilot's license and is a scratch golfer. In 2005, he was named as the top golfer among the "Hollywood set" by Golf Digest.
After the filming of "The Express: The Ernie Davis Story" Quaid went to Cleveland Browns Stadium to dedicate Davis's jersey.
Charities
Quaid lends his name to the annual "Dennis Quaid Charity Weekend" (formerly the "Jiffy Lube/Dennis Quaid Charity Classic") in Austin. The golf tournament attracts numerous celebrities with the proceeds split among local children's charities. He is a member of the Bel-Air Country Club in Bel-Air, California, and tries to stay at homes on private courses when he is on the road.
Quaid works with the International Hospital for Children in New Orleans, Louisiana. He makes trips to Central America to help build medical clinics and transport sick children back to the U.S. for treatment they cannot get locally.
Filmography
References
- ^ "Dennis Quaid Biography (1954–)". FilmReference.com. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g Stated in interview at Inside the Actors Studio.
- ^ Lyman, Rick (November 14, 2002). "Dennis Quaid's Second Reel: The Comeback". New York Times. New York. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
- ^ 'It's All God': Interview with Dennis Quaid
- ^ Peter T. Chattaway (November 21, 2005). "Mr. Versatile 'Christianity Today'". Christianitytoday.com. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
- ^ "CNN.com – Transcripts". Transcripts.cnn.com. March 12, 2002. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
- ^ "Dennis & Kimberly Quaid Welcome a Boy & Girl". People. November 8, 2007. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
- ^ "Dennis Quaid's Newborn Twins Fighting for Life". Fox News Channel. November 21, 2007. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
- ^ "Dennis Quaid's newborns reportedly harmed by medical mix-up". Ratevin.com. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
- ^ Dennis Quaid and wife sue drug maker.
- ^
Quaid, Dennis; Quaid, Kimberly (May 14, 2008). "Testimony of Dennis Quaid and Kimberly Quaid Before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the United States House of Representatives" (PDF). pp. 1–7. Archived from the original (PDF) on Wed, 14 May 2008 14:32:04 GMT. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archivedate=(help) - ^ "Dennis Quaid dodges DUI by taking cab". Daily News. New York. October 25, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
Further reading
- Silver, Murray, 2005. When Elvis Meets the Dalai Lama, (Bonaventure Books, Savannah), in which the author describes Quaid's participation in the film Great Balls of Fire.
External links
- Dennis Quaid at IMDb
- Use mdy dates from December 2010
- Wikipedia introduction cleanup from March 2010
- 1954 births
- American film actors
- American Christians
- Baptists from the United States
- Cajun people
- American people of French descent
- American people of Irish descent
- Living people
- Independent Spirit Award winners
- Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- Actors from Houston, Texas
- University of Houston alumni
- American aviators