Throughout his career, Dennis Quaid has managed to shake off the label of being "Harrison Ford's double" and become an independent actor with his own fan base. However, his life was not without weaknesses and addictions, which could have ended not only his work but also the actor's life.
Dennis Quaid
Early Years
Dennis Quaid was born in the heart of Texas, in Houston, on April 9, 1954. He became the second son in his family – by the time of his arrival, his brother Randy was already 4 years old. Their father worked as an electrician, while their mother was a real estate agent, dealing in commercial property.
Both sons developed an interest in the arts from an early age. Dennis recalled that when their parents went to work, his older brother would lock himself in a room and rehearse parody skits alone with a tape recorder. Randy later became an actor, was nominated for an Oscar, and won a Golden Globe.
Dennis Quaid with his brother Randy
Dennis spent his youth playing the guitar, and although he did not consider himself a virtuoso musician, he still tried to write songs. At school, which Quaid attended starting in 1961, he was an average student, took dance lessons and studied Chinese.
Dennis Quaid Explains Why He Pursued Acting Over Music
The real shock for Dennis was his parents' divorce, which happened while he was in high school. He became withdrawn, was rarely at home, and in 1972 moved into a dormitory at the University of Houston, where he enrolled in the drama department. However, the young man soon grew tired of his studies and dropped out to move from Texas to Los Angeles.
Dennis Quaid in his youth
Early Roles
The vibrant and noisy city was a charm for Dennis after the quiet Houston. He never gave up on his dream to become an actor, participating in various auditions, but there were no successful castings. Quaid lived on unemployment benefits and odd jobs, for instance, entertaining kids dressed as a clown in the local amusement park, and he also worked part-time as a waiter.
Luck smiled at him in 1975 when he first appeared on a movie set. In the action comedy "Crazy Mama," Quaid had a small role lasting just a few minutes, and his name wasn't even credited. But the actor took it as a good sign.
Young Dennis Quaid
Over the next four years, he played several minor roles, but his first significant character came in the 1979 film "Breaking Away." The sports drama, in which Dennis played one of the four main characters, won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and producers finally took notice of Quaid.
A still from the movie 'Breaking Away'
The Rise of His Career
In 1981, he participated in the filming of the comedy "Caveman" with Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach. Two years later, he ventured into horror by starring in the movie "Jaws 3-D" as the lead character.
Quaid in the movie 'Jaws 3-D'
Dennis bore a strong resemblance to the already famous Harrison Ford at the time, earning him the nickname "Han Solo's younger brother" from "Star Wars". Starting in 1984, Quaid himself became increasingly active in the science fiction genre.
Dennis has long been called 'Harrison Ford’s doppelganger'
In the movie "Dreamscape," he played a psychic who can penetrate people's dreams. The following year saw the release of the drama "Enemy Mine," where humanity encounters a civilization of humanoids. And in 1986, Dennis starred in the adventure sci-fi "Innerspace," which also featured Martin Short and Meg Ryan.
On the set of the movie 'Innerspace' with Meg Ryan
However, in the same year, the actor decided to break away from his usual image of "intergalactic rescuer" and tried his hand at the experimental drama "The Big Easy," playing a policeman in a city rife with drug trafficking. For his work, Quaid received the Independent Spirit Award.
Dennis Quaid in the movie 'The Big Easy'
The film was well-received by both audiences and critics, but success had its downside. During the filming of "The Big Easy," Quaid developed a drug addiction. He later referred to this time as his "biggest cocaine period."
The actor slept one hour a day and 'was like a squirrel in a wheel': 'I woke up, snorted a line and swore that was it for the day. But by four o'clock, it would happen all over again...’.
Ultimately, in 1988, Dennis entered a rehabilitation clinic and upon his return to freedom, he realized that no one wanted to offer him work.
Dennis Quaid Says Faith Saved Him After Addiction
Sunset and Return
By the early 1990s, Dennis Quaid's career had begun to decline. He occasionally appeared in movies, such as in 1994 when he played alongside Kevin Costner in the western "Wyatt Earp" and in 1995 starred in the romantic drama "Something to Talk About" with Julia Roberts. However, no more than one project a year was released with the actor.
Dennis Quaid and Kevin Costner
Quaid tried his hand at various genres – he starred in the fantasy film "Dragonheart" (1996), the crime action movie "Switchback" (1997), and the family comedy "The Parent Trap" (1998). The latter became the debut for young Lindsay Lohan, who played twin girls in the movie.
With young Lindsay Lohan in 'The Parent Trap'
Dennis truly regained his popularity in 2002 with the release of the retro drama "Far from Heaven." The film addressed complex racial and gender issues: Quaid played a 1950s businessman who reevaluated his sexual orientation. These new realities had to be faced by his character and his wife, played by Julianne Moore. Dennis received several film critics' awards and was nominated for a Golden Globe.
The role in the drama 'Far from Heaven' helped Dennis regain popularity
Although Quaid did not win the coveted film award, losing that year to his colleague Chris Cooper, the actor once again became sought after. In 2004, he starred in the disaster film by director Roland Emmerich "The Day After Tomorrow," playing the father of the main character portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal.
Dennis Quaid in the movie 'The Day After Tomorrow'
Four years later, Dennis teamed up with Sarah Jessica Parker in the comedy "Smart People." In 2009, he joined the G.I. Joe team as General Hawk in the superhero movie "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra." Alongside him in the action film were Channing Tatum, Brendan Fraser, and Sienna Miller.
Photos from the filming of 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra'
In 2012, Dennis was busy with several box-office films – from the comedy "Playing for Keeps" with Gerard Butler to the drama "The Words" with Bradley Cooper. And in 2017, Quaid played one of his fan-favorite roles: in Lasse Hallström's film "A Dog's Purpose," he portrayed the owner of a dog named Bailey.
In the movie 'A Dog's Purpose'
The Personal Life of Dennis Quaid
Actor Dennis Quaid's family life was often shaken by scandals covered in the media. In 1978, he married actress P.J. Soles. They co-starred in several movies, but Quaid's participation in the thriller "Jaws 3-D" led to the end of their marriage. During filming, the actor fell for his colleague Lea Thompson, and in 1983, he left his wife for her.
With his first wife P.J. Soles
The romance between Lea and Dennis lasted three years but did not end in marriage. The actress was unhappy with Quaid's behavior as he turned to drugs and alcohol due to his rising popularity.
Dennis Quaid and Lea Thompson
However, his addictions didn't stop the actor from starting a new romance on the set of "Innerspace" in 1987. Meg Ryan fell for Quaid immediately, unaware of his issues. Even when his secrets came to light, the actress stood by him and pushed him to enter rehab. They married in 1991, and their son Jack (now also an actor, known for the series "The Boys") was born the following year.
Dennis Quaid with his son Jack
Meg and Dennis were called one of the most beautiful couples in American show business. The actress supported her husband in everything: in the mid-90s, they turned to psychiatrists again as Quaid developed anorexia nervosa due to weight loss for the film "Wyatt Earp."
With Meg Ryan
The actors divorced in 2001 after Meg Ryan's affair with her co-star Russell Crowe became public.
In 2003, while visiting friends in Texas, Dennis met the young realtor Kimberly Buffington. The actor charmed his companion, who was 18 years his junior. They celebrated their wedding a year later. In November 2007, a surrogate mother gave birth to their twins, Thomas and Zoe.
Dennis with his third wife Kimberly Buffington
A joyful event almost turned into a tragedy: hospital staff gave the newborn twins an overdose of medication by mistake. The children were saved, but the actor sought justice. He sued the drug manufacturer, claiming the packaging of different drug concentrations looked too similar.
Since then, Dennis has become an advocate for patient safety and has produced several documentaries about preventable medical errors.
Quaid and Buffington's relationship, meanwhile, was like a roller coaster. In 2012, Kimberly filed for divorce but withdrew the filing a month later. She attempted to separate again in November of the same year, but the couple reconciled. Finally, in 2016, Dennis and Kimberly announced their final divorce.
The legal proceedings lasted two years, so the actor was only single in 2018. During this time, he was in a relationship with the young model and aspiring actress Santa Auzina.
Dennis Quaid and Santa Auzina
In 2020, Dennis married for the fourth time. His new wife was the charming blonde student Laura Savoie. The girl was 39 years younger than her husband, and Quaid's eldest son, Jack, was a year older than his stepmother. However, the age difference didn't bother the actor; he said that faith in God and love brought him and Laura together.
The fourth wife is 39 years younger than Dennis
He also spent his free time on his favorite hobbies. Since the 80s, Dennis has played guitar in his band "The Sharks," which composed soundtracks for some of his movies. Additionally, he has always loved golf and was even named the best golfer among actors in 2005.
Dennis Quaid & The Sharks - Live at Gruene Hall 5/13/17
Dennis Quaid Now
After his return to the screen in the early 2000s, Dennis has delighted audiences with new roles each year. In 2019, the movie "A Dog's Journey," where the actor reprised his role from the first installment, was released.
Dennis Quaid on Faith, Addiction and The Parent Trap
In 2021, he starred in the sports drama "Born a Champion" and in the biographical film "Blue Miracle." At the same time, filming began for the biography of US President Ronald Reagan, with Quaid playing the lead role. The film's premiere was originally scheduled for late 2021 but has been postponed indefinitely.
Interesting Facts
In 2020, Dennis Quaid started hosting a podcast dedicated to pets. In one of the episodes, he mentioned that he saw a news segment from a Virginia station about a shelter cat. The animal was named after the actor. Quaid immediately decided that he had to adopt his namesake and contacted the shelter's administration. Soon, the six-year-old black cat Dennis Quaid was settling into the actor's office.
