Dennis Quaid is an American actor and musician famous for playing comedic and dramatic roles in movies and on television. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980, some of his notable credits include Breaking Away, The Right Stuff, The Big Easy, Innerspace, Great Balls of Fire!, The Parent Trap, Frequency, Traffic, The Rookie, The Day After Tomorrow, Vantage Point, Footloose, Soul Surfer and The Intruder. For his role in Far from Heaven, he won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor among other accolades.
Birth Name
Dennis William Quaid
Nickname
Dennis
Profession
Actor, Producer, Director, Singer, Writer
Genre
Rock N Roll, Country-Soul
Instruments
Vocals, Guitar
Labels
Unsigned
Nationality
American
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Dennis Quaid was born on the 9th of April 1954, in Houston, Texas, United States.
Age
He’s currently 65 years old.
Sun Sign
Aries
Ethnicity
White
He is of English, Irish, Scots-Irish and Cajun (French) descent.
Religion
Christianity
Education
Dennis attended Paul W. Horn Elementary School in Bellaire and Pershing Middle School in Houston. He studied Mandarin 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 however dropped out of the university before graduating in order to pursue an acting career.
Family Details
- Father – William Rudy Quaid (Electrician)
- Mother – Juanita B. Quaid (Real Estate Agent)
- Siblings – Randy Quaid (Older Brother) (Actor)
- Relatives – Evi Quaid (Sister-In-Law), Amanda Quaid (Niece), Buddy Quaid (Half-Brother), Brandy Quaid (Half-Sister), Bo Brinkman (Cousin), Corbett Tuck (Cousin), Dakota Brinkman (Cousin)
Marital Status
Divorced
Girlfriend / Spouse
Dennis Quaid has dated –
- P.J. Soles (1978-1983)– Dennis met actress P.J. Soles while filming Our Winning Season (1978). The couple got married shortly after that in 1978. However, things did not work out between them and they separated in 1983.
- Lea Thompson (1983-1989) – In 1983, Dennis began a relationship with his co-star, from the film Jaws 3-D (1983), Lea Thompson. The couple was in a live-in relationship and they were also engaged for a while before calling it quits in 1989.
- Meg Ryan (1988-2001) – In 1988, Dennis fell in love with actress Meg Ryan who was also his co-star in the thriller, O.A. (1988). Eventually, the couple tied the knot on Valentine’s Day on February 14, 1991. They were soon blessed with a son named Jack Henry Quaid (born April 24, 1992). However, the star couple felt the pressure of comparison and Dennis felt overshadowed by his wife’s fame. They finalized their divorce on July 16, 2001.
- Kimberly Buffington (2004-2018) – In 2004, he dated the American Business Professional Kimberly Buffington and they got married on 4 July 2004. The couple together had twins: daughter Zoe Grace Quaid and a son Thomas Boone Quaid. In June 28, 2016, the couple announced in a joint statement that they were divorcing, with Kimberly Quaid asking for full physical custody and joint legal custody. The divorce was finalized April 27, 2018.
- Santa Auzina (2016-2019) – In 2016, Dennis started a relationship with Latvia-born model, Santa Auzina. She is half his age and the pair has been spotted together at dinner dates and holidays in Hawaii.
- Laura Savoie (2019-Present) – In October 21, 2019, Quaid confirmed his engagement to Laura Savoie.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 6 feet 0 inches
- In centimeters – 183 cm
- In meters – 1.83 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 80 kg
- In Pounds – 176 lbs
Body Build
Athletic
Eye Color
Blue
Hair Color
Light Brown
Shoe Size
His shoe size is 11 (US).
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Dennis is known for notable credits include Breaking Away (1979), The Right Stuff (1983), The Big Easy (1986), Innerspace (1987), Great Balls of Fire! (1989), The Parent Trap (1998), Frequency (2000), Traffic (2000), The Rookie (2002), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), Vantage Point (2008), Footloose (2011), Soul Surfer (2011) and The Intruder (2019).
Film Debut
Dennis Quaid made his film debut in 1975 with the flick Crazy Mama in which he appeared as Bellhop. He, however, didn’t get any recognition for this role. In 1977, he appeared in the movies I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.
Television Debut
In 1977, he made his first TV show appearance as Scott Martin in the crime drama series, Baretta and as a voice actor, he made his TV show debut in the documentary series, Freedom: A History of US.
Singing Debut
Dennis has written and performed songs for numerous of the films that he has starred in including The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981), Tough Enough (1983) and The Big Easy (1986). He has also worked on some original hit singles like Spill the Wine with his band, Dennis Quaid and The Sharks.
Brand Endorsements
Dennis Quaid has done endorsement work for brands like- Olympus (2005), Visa Credit Card (June 2007) & Esurance Insurance Company (2018).
Awards & Nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Valladolid International Film Festival | Best Lead Actor | The Big Easy | Won |
| 1988 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Male Lead | The Big Easy | Won |
| 1989 | Jupiter Awards | Best International Actor | The Big Easy | Nominated |
| 2001 | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Frequency | Nominated |
| 2001 | Screen Actors Guild | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Motion Picture | Traffic | Nominated |
| 2002 | New York Film Critics Circle | Best Supporting Actor | Far from Heaven | Won |
| 2002 | Toronto Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Performance – Male | Far from Heaven | Nominated |
| 2003 | Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | Far from Heaven | Won |
| 2003 | Gold Derby Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Far from Heaven | Nominated |
| 2003 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Far from Heaven | Nominated |
| 2003 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Supporting Male | Far from Heaven | Won |
| 2003 | Online Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actor | Far from Heaven | Won |
| 2003 | Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Far from Heaven | Nominated |
| 2003 | Screen Actors Guild | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Far from Heaven | Nominated |
| 2003 | Vancouver Film Critics Circle | Best Supporting Actor | Far from Heaven | Nominated |
| 2011 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Lead Actor in a Motion Picture Made for Television | The Special Relationship | Nominated |
| 2011 | Screen Actors Guild | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries | The Special Relationship | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | The Special Relationship | Nominated |
| 2010 | Satellite Awards | Best Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | The Special Relationship | Nominated |
| 2016 | Houston Film Critics Society | Lifetime Achievement | N/A | Won |
Dennis Quaid Favorites
- Favorite Director – David Lean
- Favorite Movie He Made – The Right Stuff (1983)
- Favorite Book – The Bible
- Favorite Vacation Destination – Italy
- Favorite Color – Black
- Favorite Food – Pizza
Dennis Quaid Net worth
Dennis Quaid has an estimated net worth of $40 million dollars as of 2019.
Social Media Profiles
- Instagram – dennisquaidandthesharks
Some Lesser Known Facts About Dennis Quaid
- During his performances with his band, Dennis Quaid and The Sharks, he prefers to play bare feet so he can feel more relaxed just like he feels while playing in his living room.
- He loves playing golf and is a one-handicap golfer.
- He wanted to become a musician before taking up acting.
- His first celebrity crush was Donna Reed.
- In 1981, Quaid was cast in the biographical drama TV movie Bill in which he was assigned the role of Barry Morrow.
- He is a fan of the professional baseball team Houston Astros.
- In 1998, he made his debut as a film director with Everything That Rises a television movie western in which he also starred.
- In 2000, he appeared in the movie Traffic. The following year, he did the TV movie ‘Dinner with Friends’
- In 2005, he was named as the top golf player among the Hollywood set by the famous Golf Digest magazine.
- In March 2005, he was added to the Texas Film Hall of Fame in Austin, Texas.
- In 2009, Quaid guest starred in an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, playing Mr. Krabs’ grandfather, Captain Redbeard.
- In 2010, Quaid appeared in The Special Relationship. This British-American political flick directed by Richard Loncraine is the third flick in Morgan’s informal Blair trilogy that follows the political career of the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
- In 2017, he starred in A Dog’s Purpose as Ethan Montgomery, billed as a celebration of the special connection between humans and their dogs.
- In 2018, 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 March 2018, it was confirmed by director Sean McNamara that Quaid would portray President Ronald Reagan in an upcoming biopic, titled Reagan.
- Visit his band’s official website @dennisquaidandthesharks.com.
