Dennis Quaid

Dennis William Quaid (born April 9 , 1954 ) is an American Actor .

BIOGRAPHY

Quaid was born to William Rudy Quaid and Juanita Bonniedale Jordan in Houston, Texas . He studied drama at Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas and later in college. He dropped out of the University Of Houston before graduating and moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue an acting career. Dennis 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 ).

Known for his famous Grin , Quaid was a versitile actor, performing in both Comedic and Dramatic roles. Quaid's acting career seemed to reach its peak in the mid-to-late 1980s , with starring roles in such films as '' Enemy Mine '' and '' Innerspace ''. He also achieved acclaim for his portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis in '' Great Balls Of Fire '' ( 1989 ).

Quaid's career seemed to lose steam in late- 1980s /early- 1990s after he fought and kicked a painful cocaine addiction, but he continued to prove his worth in a variety of films, and seems to be experiencing a resurgence in popularity since the late nineties. Some of Quaid's most recent film credits include ''Traffic'' (2000) as a lowlife attorney, ''Far From Heaven'' (2002) as a closeted husband and ''In Good Company'' (2004), as an aging ad executive whose new boss is a young kid.

Aside from acting, Quaid is also a Musician , and plays with his band the Sharks. He also has a Pilot 's license.

Quaid is a scratch Golf er and, in 2005 , was named as the top golfer among the " Hollywood set" by Golf Digest . He lends his name to the annual "Dennis Quaid Charity Weekend" (formerly the Jiffy Lube/Dennis Quaid Charity Classic") in Austin, Texas . The golf tournament attracts numerous celebrities with the proceeds split between local children's charities. He is a member of Bel-Air Country Club in Beverly Hills and tries to stay at homes on private courses when he's on the road.

Quaid works with the charity "International Hospital for Children in New Orleans ." He makes trips to Central America to help build medical clinics and transport sick children back to the United States for treatment they cannot get locally.

In a 2006 interview with ''Best Life'' magazine, Quaid said that in the mid-1990s he suffered from Anorexia Nervosa , saying, "I'd look in the mirror and still see a 180 lb. guy, even though I was 138 pounds," and "for many years, I was obsessed about what I was eating, how many calories it had, and how much exercise I'd have to do."

He is also a huge fan of the legendary rock band Phish, and has been spotted at several of their concerts.

Family

Marriages: Quaid has picked a holiday for each of his weddings ( Fourth Of July , Valentine's Day , Thanksgiving Day ):

July 4 , 2004 - present; Kimberly Buffington (real estate agent).

February 14 , 1991 - June 16 , 2001; Meg Ryan (actress); son Jack Henry (born April 24, 1992)

November 25 , 1978 - January 23 , 1983; P.J. Soles (actress)

Quaid married Kimberly Buffington of Austin, Texas , who, at 32 years old, was 18 years younger than Quaid. Quaid's son Jack served as the best man for the wedding at Quaid's ranch in Montana . Quaid was engaged for three years to actress Lea Thompson ('' Back To The Future '', '' Caroline In The City ''), whom he met on the movie set of ''Jaws 3-D'' in 1983. Quaid's marriage to Meg Ryan ended after it was revealed that she had had an affair with Russell Crowe while filming '' Proof Of Life '' (Ryan's relationship with Crowe did not last long after the divorce was announced), but Quaid insists that the relationship had already been deteriorating before then and insists that he still feels some lingering affection for Meg, as she is the mother of his only son, Jack. Some think that the divorce ultimately worked in his favor, as his career has been presently proceeding with much more success than Meg's.

Randy Quaid , Dennis' older brother, is also an actor. Dennis Quaid also has a sister named Brandy.

FILMOGRAPHY

''Crazy Mama'' ( 1975 )

''September 30, 1955'' ( 1977 )

'' I Never Promised You A Rose Garden '' (1977)

''Our Winning Season'' ( 1978 )

''The Seniors'' (1978)

'' Breaking Away '' ( 1979 )

'' The Long Riders '' ( 1980 )

''Gorp'' (1980)

'' All Night Long '' ( 1981 )

'' Caveman '' (1981)

'' The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia '' (1981)

''Tough Enough'' ( 1983 )

'' Jaws 3-D '' (1983)

'' The Right Stuff '' (1983)

'' Dreamscape '' ( 1984 )

'' Enemy Mine '' ( 1985 )

'' The Big Easy '' ( 1987 )

'' Innerspace '' (1987)

'' Suspect '' (1987)

'' D.O.A. '' ( 1988 )

'' Everybody's All-American '' (1988)

'' Great Balls Of Fire! '' ( 1989 )

'' Come See The Paradise '' ( 1990 )

'' Postcards From The Edge '' (1990)

''Wilder Napalm'' ( 1993 )

'' Undercover Blues '' (1993)

'' Flesh And Bone '' (1993)

'' A Century Of Cinema '' ( 1994 ) (documentary)

'' Wyatt Earp '' (1994)

''Something to Talk About'' ( 1995 )

'' Dragonheart '' ( 1996 )

''Gang Related'' ( 1997 )

''Switchback'' (1997)

'' Savior '' ( 1998 )

'' The Parent Trap '' (1998)

'' Playing By Heart '' (1998)

'' Any Given Sunday '' ( 1999 )

'' Frequency '' ( 2000 )

'' Traffic '' (2000)

'' The Rookie '' ( 2002 )

'' Far From Heaven '' (2002)

'' Cold Creek Manor '' ( 2003 )

'' The Alamo '' ( 2004 )

'' The Day After Tomorrow '' (2004)

'' In Good Company '' (2004)

'' Flight Of The Phoenix '' (2004)

'' Yours, Mine & Ours '' ( 2005 )

'' American Dreamz '' ( 2006 )

''Shame On You'' (2006)

QUOTES

"There are three things being a celebrity is good for: raising money for charity, dinner reservations and tee times" -to Golf Digest

EXTERNAL LINKS

Daily Dennis Quaid News

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Dennis Quaid

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