Dennis Quaid, a critically acclaimed and commercially successful actor is best known for his comedy and dramatic roles. He was born on 9 April, 1954, to William Rudy Quaid, an electrician, and Juanita Bonniedale Jordan, a real-estate agent. Dennis was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where he studied at the Pershing Middle School. Due to his early interest in acting, he studied drama at Bellaire High School. Denis also took part in several high school productions. He enrolled himself at the University of Houston where he again studied drama under the guidance of Cecil Pickett, a drama coach. He dropped out of college to pursue an acting career in Hollywood and to follow in the footsteps of his elder brother, Randy Quaid, who was an established actor.
Initially, Dennis Quaid had trouble finding work in Los Angeles. He eventually made his debut in 1975 with the movie Crazy Mama and later starred in The Missouri Breaks in 1976. These roles didn’t do much to progress his career. However, his life changed with the movie Breaking Away in 1979 in which he played the part of frustrated teenager. Quaid received praise from critics and also a huge fan following due to this role. He continued getting movie offers and starred in movies like The Long Riders (1980), The Right Stuff (1983), The Big Easy (1987), Everybody’s All American (1988) and Great Balls of Fire! (1989).
Quaid’s career received a setback in the early 1990s as he battled substance abuse. He took a break from his acting career for two years to seek treatment. On his return to acting in 1993, he starred in Wilder Napalm, Flesh and Bone and Undercover Blues. His roles in movies like Wyatt Earp (1994), Something to Talk About (1995), The Parent Trap (1998), Any Given Sunday (1999) and Dragonheart (1996) took his career up a notch. Post 2000, he has played interesting characters in the movies Traffic (2000), The Rookie (2002), Far From Heaven (2002), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), In Good Company (2004) and Yours, Mine and Ours (2005). Quaid was nominated for and won a number of awards for his performances.
Apart from acting, Quaid is also involved in music and performs with his band, Dennis Quaid and the Sharks. He has also written songs for some of his movies. Quaid is a licensed private pilot and an avid golfer. He married P.J. Soles in 1978 but their marriage ended in 1983. Later, he married Meg Ryan in 1991 by whom he has a son. However, this marriage ended in 2001. Quaid is now married to Kimberly Buffington and the couple have twins born in November, 2007. Quaid is also involved with various charities. The Dennis Quaid Charity Weekend is an annual golf tournament where celebrities participate to help raise funds for children’s charities.
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