Dennis Quaid

Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in many successful films, including Breaking Away, Jaws 3-D (1983), Innerspace (1987), Great Balls of Fire! (1989), Dragonheart (1996), The Parent Trap (1998), Frequency (2000), The Rookie (2002), The Alamo (2004), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), In Good Company (2004), Flight of the Phoenix (2004), Yours, Mine & Ours (2005), and Vantage Point (2008). In 2003, Quaid received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Far from Heaven (2002).

Quaid portrayed President Bill Clinton in the HBO film The Special Relationship (2010), earning nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He also portrayed Deputy U.S. Marshal Sherrill Lynn in the Paramount+ Western series Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023), and President Ronald Reagan in the biopic Reagan (2024).

Early life and education Dennis William Quaid was born in Houston, Texas, to Juanita Bonnie Dale "Nita" (; 1927–2019), a real-estate agent, and William Rudy Quaid (1923–1987), an electrician. He has English, Irish, Scots-Irish, and Cajun (French) ancestry. Quaid attended Paul W. Horn Elementary School in Bellaire and Pershing Middle School in Houston. He studied Mandarin Chinese and dance at Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas, and later in college, at the University of Houston, under drama coach Cecil Pickett, who had previously taught at Bellaire High and whose daughter is actress Cindy Pickett. Quaid was raised in the Baptist faith. He is the younger brother of actor Randy Quaid.

Career 1979–1982: Early roles Quaid dropped out of the University of Houston before graduating and moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. During this time, Quaid appeared in a variety of films, such as the drama Our Winning Season (1978), the comedy The Seniors (1978), the romantic comedy All Night Long (1981), and the slapstick comedy Caveman (1981). He portrayed outlaw Ed Miller in the Walter Hill–directed Western drama The Long Riders (1980). Quaid appeared as an extra at a graduation ceremony in the Ivan Reitman–directed comedy Stripes (1981) starring Bill Murray.

1983–2002: Stardom and acclaim

Known for his grin, For his performance. Quaid received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead. He also achieved acclaim for his portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis in Great Balls of Fire! (1989) acting alongside Winona Ryder.

Quaid's career lost steam in the early 1990s after he fought anorexia nervosa, brought on when he lost 40 pounds to play the tuberculosis-afflicted Doc Holliday in the Western drama Wyatt Earp (1994), and recovered from a cocaine addiction.

In 2000, Quaid acted in Steven Soderbergh's critically acclaimed crime drama Traffic. Quaid earned a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture along with the ensemble. He gained acclaim for his role in the Norman Jewison–directed HBO film Dinner with Friends (2001), based on the Donald Margulies play of the same name; Quaid acted alongside Andie MacDowell, Greg Kinnear, and Toni Collette. In 2002, Quaid portrayed former baseball pitcher Jim Morris in the Walt Disney sports drama The Rookie (2002). That same year, he earned acclaim for his role as the closeted husband Frank Whitaker during the 1950s in the Todd Haynes–directed romantic period film Far From Heaven, where he acted alongside Julianne Moore, earning a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture, and winning the Independent Spirit Award and the New York Film Critics Circle Award.

2003–present: Established actor

Quaid then acted in films in various genres, such as the thriller Cold Creek Manor (2003), the survival drama Flight of the Phoenix (2004), the war film The Alamo (2004), the romantic comedy In Good Company (2004), the disaster film The Day After Tomorrow (2004), and the family comedy Yours, Mine & Ours (2005). He played the president in the political comedy American Dreamz (2006) with Hugh Grant, Mandy Moore, Marcia Gay Harden, and Willem Dafoe. In 2008, Quaid starred in the political action thriller Vantage Point (2008) alongside Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, and Forest Whitaker. That same year, he portrayed football coach Ben Schwartzwalder in the sports drama The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (2008). In 2009, Quaid portrayed General Clayton M. Abernathy / Hawk in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009). He also acted in Pandorum (2009) and guest starred in an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, playing Mr. Krabs' grandfather, Captain Redbeard.

Quaid returned to television, portraying U.S. President Bill Clinton alongside Michael Sheen as Tony Blair and Hope Davis as Hillary Clinton, in the HBO film The Special Relationship (2009). He received acclaim as well as nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie as well as a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2012 and 2013, Quaid played Sheriff Ralph Lamb in the CBS TV drama series Vegas. In 2015, he made guest appearances playing Lucky Luciano in Drunk History and a chief and a judge in Inside Amy Schumer. From 2015 to 2016, Quaid played Samuel Brukner in the Crackle series The Art of More. He played Michael Lennox in the British series Fortitude in 2017, and Wade Blackwood in the Amazon Prime legal series Goliath in 2019.

In 2017, Quaid starred in A Dog's Purpose as Ethan Montgomery, billed as "a celebration of the special connection between humans and their dogs." The following year, Quaid starred in I Can Only Imagine, where he played Arthur Millard, the father of singer and songwriter Bart Millard, and Kin, where he plays Hal, the father of the film's two protagonists. In 2019, Quaid portrayed Vice Admiral William 'Bull' Halsey in the war drama Midway. In 2022, he voiced a leading role in the Walt Disney Animated film Strange World. In 2023, Quaid starred in the sports drama The Hill (2023).

In June 2024, Quaid began hosting the series Holy Marvels With Dennis Quaid on the History Channel. He portrayed President Ronald Reagan in a biopic, titled Reagan, the second time Quaid has portrayed a U.S. president. The film was slated to have a summer 2019 release; however, in May 2020 it was still in pre-production The film was released in theaters on August 30, 2024. The same year, Quaid starred alongside Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley in the body horror film The Substance, in which he portrays a sleazy television studio executive named Harvey. In April 2026, it was reported that Quaid would star in AMC's upcoming drama Thunder Road as stock car driver Duane Whitlock.

Personal life Relationships and children Quaid has been married four times and has three children. He met his first wife, actress P. J. Soles, on the set of the film Our Winning Season. They were married in 1978 and divorced in 1983.

On February 14, 1991, Quaid married actress Meg Ryan. Quaid and Ryan fell in love during the shooting of their second film together, D.O.A. They have a son, Jack Quaid (born 1992). Quaid and Ryan announced their separation on June 28, 2000, saying they had been separated six weeks by then.

Quaid dated model Shanna Moakler from February to October 2001.

Quaid married Texas real estate agent Kimberly Buffington on July 4, 2004, at his ranch in Paradise Valley, Montana. The babies recovered, but Quaid filed a lawsuit against the drug manufacturer, Baxter Healthcare, claiming that packaging for the two doses of heparin are not different enough. In May 2008, the Quaids testified before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, asking the U.S. Congress not to preempt the right to sue drug manufacturers for negligence under state law. The incident led Quaid to become a patient-safety advocate, producing a series of documentaries on preventable medical errors that aired on the Discovery Channel, as well as co-authoring a medical-journal article addressing the positive influence of patient stories in motivating change in healthcare. The first documentary, Chasing Zero: Winning the War on Healthcare Harm, aired on the Discovery Channel in 2010,

Buffington filed for divorce from Quaid in March 2012. Buffington's attorney then withdrew the divorce papers on April 26, 2012. That summer, Quaid and Buffington moved to California. In October 2012, he and Buffington again decided to separate, and Buffington filed for legal separation, seeking joint legal and sole physical custody of the twins. After waiting to establish the required six months of residency in California, Quaid filed for divorce on November 30, 2012, asking for joint legal and physical custody of the children and offering to pay spousal support to Buffington. On June 28, 2016, the couple announced in a joint statement that they were divorcing, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason, with Buffington asking for full physical custody and joint legal custody. The divorce was finalized on April 27, 2018.

Following his separation from Buffington, Quaid dated model Santa Auzina from July 2016 to 2019.

On October 21, 2019, Quaid confirmed his engagement to Laura Savoie. Their original wedding plans were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Savoie is a CPA and yoga instructor, 39 years his junior, who shares his Christian faith. Quaid says, "God is in the relationship. I've never had a relationship like that before." Together, they launched the production company Bonniedale Films, based in Nashville, where they live.

Religious beliefs Quaid is a Christian, coming to faith around 1990 after struggling with addiction. He wrote the Christian song "On My Way to Heaven", dedicated to his mother and included in the film I Can Only Imagine, in which Quaid starred.

Interests In addition to acting, Quaid is a musician and plays with his band, the Sharks. Quaid wrote and performed the song "Closer to You" in the film The Big Easy (1987). He also has a pilot's license and owned a Cessna Citation. Quaid is also a one-handicap golfer, and in 2005, he was named the top golfer among the "Hollywood set" by Golf Digest magazine.

Quaid is a fan of the Houston Astros, and after the team's 2005 National League Championship-winning season, he narrated their commemorative DVD release. After the filming of The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, Quaid went to Cleveland Browns Stadium to dedicate Davis's jersey.

Quaid began podcasting in 2020, starting The Pet Show with Dennis Quaid and Jimmy Jellinek. Its first episode premiered on July 10, 2020. During that podcast, Quaid learned of a shelter cat in Lynchburg, Virginia, also named Dennis Quaid. He adopted the cat and flew it out to California to live at his recording studio.

Substance use There have been extensive stories about Quaid's past abuse of cocaine. In a 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 1960s, early 1970s. 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 Quaid was asked if he believed he had ever been addicted to the drugs, Quaid 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."

Political views In a 2018 interview with the New York Post, Quaid stated he was a registered independent and has voted for both Democratic and Republican candidates, saying that he did not consider himself an adherent of any particular ideology, though he did opine that Ronald Reagan was his favorite president of his lifetime. In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Quaid stated that President Donald Trump was handling the pandemic well, calling him "involved." Quaid subsequently recorded an interview with infectious-disease expert Anthony Fauci as part of an advertising campaign by the Department of Health and Human Services to "defeat despair" surrounding COVID-19.

In May 2024, Quaid endorsed Donald Trump for President during an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored and, on October 12, 2024, he spoke at Trump's rally in Coachella, California.

In late February 2026, Quaid was traveling on Air Force One when President Trump issued the final approval to military leaders for the bombing of Iran, launching the 2026 Iran war. Quaid was on board along with the President, US Senator Ted Cruz, and US Senator John Cornyn.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1975 Crazy Mama Bellhop Uncredited 1977 I Never Promised You a Rose Garden Shark, Baseball Pitcher September 30, 1955 Frank 1978 Our Winning Season Paul Morelli The Seniors Alan Darby 1979 Breaking Away Mike 1980 The Long Riders Ed Miller Gorp "Mad" Grossman 1981 All Night Long Freddie Dupler Caveman Lar The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia Travis Child Stripes Extra at Graduation Ceremony Uncredited 1983 Tough Enough Art Long Jaws 3-D Michael "Mike" Brody The Right Stuff Gordon Cooper 1984 Dreamscape Alex Gardner 1985 Enemy Mine Willis "Will" Davidge 1987 The Big Easy Detective Lieutenant Remy McSwain Innerspace Lieutenant Tuck Pendleton Suspect Eddie Sanger 1988 D.O.A. Professor Dexter Cornell Everybody's All-American Gavin "Grey Ghost" Grey 1989 Great Balls of Fire! Jerry Lee Lewis 1990 Come See the Paradise Jack McGurn / McGann Postcards from the Edge Jack Faulkner 1993 Wilder Napalm Wallace Foudroyant / Biff The Clown Undercover Blues Jefferson "Jeff" Blue Flesh and Bone Arlis Sweeney 1994 A Century of Cinema Himself Documentary Wyatt Earp Doc Holliday 1995 Something to Talk About Eddie Bichon 1996 Dragonheart Sir Bowen 1997 Gang Related Joe Doe / William McCall Switchback FBI Special Agent Frank LaCrosse 1998 The Parent Trap Nicholas "Nick" Parker Savior Joshua Rose / Guy Playing by Heart Hugh 1999 Any Given Sunday Jack "Cap" Rooney 2000 Frequency Frank Sullivan Traffic Arnie Metzger 2002 The Rookie Jim Morris Far from Heaven Frank Whitaker 2003 Cold Creek Manor Cooper Tilson 2004 The Alamo Sam Houston The Day After Tomorrow Jack Hall In Good Company Dan Foreman Flight of the Phoenix Captain Franklin "Frank" Towns 2005 Yours, Mine & Ours Rear Admiral Frank Beardsley, USCG 2006 American Dreamz President Joseph Staton 2007 Battle for Terra Roven Voice role 2008 Vantage Point Secret Service Agent Thomas Barnes Smart People Lawrence Wetherhold The Express: The Ernie Davis Story Ben Schwartzwalder 2009 Horsemen Aidan Breslin G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra General Clayton M. Abernathy / Hawk Pandorum Lieutenant Payton / Older Corporal Gallo 2010 Legion Bob Hanson 2011 Soul Surfer Tom Hamilton Footloose Reverend Shaw Moore Beneath the Darkness Vaughn Ely 2012 What to Expect When You're Expecting Ramsey Cooper The Words Clay Hammond Playing for Keeps Carl King At Any Price Henry Whipple 2013 Movie 43 Charlie Wessler Segment: "The Pitch" 2015 Miracles on the Plain Narrator Voice; Documentary Truth Colonel Roger Charles 2017 A Dog's Purpose Adult Ethan Montgomery 2018 I Can Only Imagine Arthur Millard Kin Hal Solinski Pretenders Joe 2019 The Intruder Charlie Peck A Dog's Journey Ethan Montgomery Midway Vice Admiral William "Bull" Halsey 2021 Born a Champion Mason Blue Miracle Captain Wade Malloy American Underdog Dick Vermeil 2022 The Tiger Rising Beauchamp Strange World Jaeger Clade Voice role 2023 The Long Game Frank Mitchell On a Wing and a Prayer Doug White Strays The Birdwatcher The Hill Pastor James Hill 2024 The Substance Harvey Reagan Ronald Reagan 2025 Broke George BrandywineSaurus CityRind, the Shrouded KnightVoice role Sovereign Chief John Bouchart 2026 I Can Only Imagine 2 Arthur Millard War Machine Army Sgt Maj Sheridan Signal One Sam Houston Carl Rikker Post-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 1977 Baretta Scott Martin Episode: "The Sky Is Falling" 1978 Are You in the House Alone? Phil LawverTelevision film 1979 Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill Roy 1981 Bill Barry Morrow 1982 Johnny Belinda Kyle Hager 1983 Bill: On His Own Barry Morrow 1997 Sesame Street: Kids' Guide to Life Uncle Tommy Episode: "Telling the Truth" Muppets Tonight Himself Episode: "Dennis Quaid" 1998 Everything that Rises Jim Clay Television film; also director

Theatre Year Title Role Playwright Venue 1983 True West Austin Sam Shepard Cherry Lane Theatre, Off-Broadway

Awards and nominations For Far from Heaven (2002), Quaid 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. Quaid was also honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award from his alma mater, the University of Houston, in April 2012.

Year Association Category Work Result 1987 Valladolid International Film Festival Best Lead Actor The Big Easy 1988 Independent Spirit Awards Best Male Lead 1989 Jupiter Awards Best International Actor 2001 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actor Frequency Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Ensemble in a Motion Picture Traffic 2002 New York Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor Far from Heaven Toronto Film Critics Association Best Supporting Performance – Male 2003 Chicago Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor Gold Derby Awards Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Male Online Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actor Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role Vancouver Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie The Special Relationship Satellite Awards Best Lead Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie 2011 Golden Globe Awards Best Lead Actor in a Motion Picture Made for Television Screen Actors Guild Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries 2016 Houston Film Critics Society Lifetime Achievement N/A 2025 Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Actor Reagan Worst Screen Combo