Dennis Quaid is an American actor, comedian, and cameraman known for a wide variety of comedic and dramatic roles in movies, films, and the cinema. He gained fame in the 1980s but had problems with drug abuse and eating disorders. Fortunately, he quickly addressed this problem and flourished even more in the film industry.
Many people know him more through the characters he picked up in the movies and in the films than through what he really is. Here you will have the opportunity to get to know this talented actor.
Dennis Quaid Age and Background Information
Dennis William Quaid, the younger brother of actor Randy Quaid, was born on April 9, 1954, in Houston, Texas, as the son of Juanita B. Quaid (mother), who was a successful real estate agent, and Rudy Quaid (father), an electrician who was also successful in his profession. His family has roots in English, Irish, Scottish-Irish, and French descent.
In high school, Dennis was involved in drama classes where he excelled in various roles assigned to him. He was admitted to the University of Houston but broke off his studies prematurely to catch up on his acting interest in Hollywood.
When he arrived in Hollywood he had not few difficulties finding work as an actor. As such his acting career ebbed away to his dissatisfaction. Dennis remained persistent and got little attention because he worked on some projects as a cast member. He gained significant attention when he appeared in “Breaking Away” in 1979, which received good reviews and critical acclaim. Dennis Quaid was all the more praised for his expert portrayal of the figure of astronaut Gordon Cooper in The Right Stuff of 1983.
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The talented actor has worked in both comedy and feature films and has done more than what is expected of any character he plays. His films include Jaws 3-D (1983), Enemy Mine (1985), and Innerspace (1987). You will probably remember that he was praised in the 1990s for his portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis in the film “The Great Fireball”.
His career crawled in the 1990s as he fought anorexia nervosa, which came about when he lost about 40 pounds to play the role of Doc Holliday, a tuberculosis-afflicted character in Wyatt Earp and was also addicted to cocaine. This didn’t deter him very much as he continued to get some positive reviews for his movies during this period.
He played the leading role in Dragonheart in 1996, Dennis was the guest star of the second season of Muppets Tonight (1997). He appeared in the 1998 remake of The Parents Trap as an aging professional footballer and father of the twin in Any Sunday by Oliver Stone. His most recent films include Frequency (2000), which was followed by The Rookie and Far from Heaven in 2002. In 2003 he was at Cold Creek Manor, while in 2004 he was praised for his role in The Flight of the Phoenix, The Alamo, In Good Company, The Day After Tomorrow, all in 2004. Yours, Mine and Ours was released in 2005 and was acquired by Vantage Point after three years. Dennis Quaid appeared in 2009 in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Pandorum.
Some of his awards for his work are:
- The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Far From Heaven (2002)
- The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor,
- The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
- The Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
- In April 2012, he received a Distinguished Alumni Award from his alma mater, the University of Houston.
Dennis Quaid’s Net Worth
His net worth is estimated at around $40 million.
Family: Wife, Twins, Children
Quaid was in four relationships, three of which flourished into marriages and ended in divorce for various reasons. He has three children.
His first wife was the actress P. J. Soles, whom he married on November 25, 1978, and divorced in 1983.
He got into a relationship with another actress Meg Ryan and the two got married on February 14, 1991, Valentine’s Day. The two got to know and love each other during the shooting of D.O.A. Their marriage led to the birth of a son named Jack Henry on April 24, 1992. Eight years later they announced their separation on June 28, 2000. On July 16, 2001, their divorce papers were finalized. Ryan revealed that Quaid had been unfaithful to her in marriage for a long time.
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From Ryan, Quaid met Shanna Moakler in 2001, who later posed naked for Playboy magazine with Quaid’s consent. The relationship lasted only eight months in total.
Texas real estate agent Kimberly Buffington became his third wife on July 4, 2004, after they were married in Paradise Valley, Montana. Their marriage resulted in the birth of fraternal twins named Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace by a surrogate mother on November 8, 2007, in Santa Monica, California.
The twins were mistakenly given 1,000 times the dose of heparin, which was above the medically recommended dosage for infants. This prompted Dennis Quaid to file a lawsuit against the drug manufacturer, claiming that the drugs were not properly labeled. He also worked for patient safety and produced a series of documentaries on preventable medical errors that were broadcast on the Discovery Channel.
His marriage to Buffington went through a great deal of back and forth from 2012 until 2016 when they finally divorced.
Dennis Quaid Other Facts
- Dennis earned the nickname Dennis Quand (a combination of the names “Quaid” and “Bond”) at school because of his obsession with the movie character James Bond
- He is 5 feet 11 inches tall and has a body weight of 86 kg.
- He donates to charity and has a charity organization in his name.
