Born in Houston, Texas on April 9, 1954, Dennis Quaid is an American actor, who has already established his career as a major Hollywood presence. He is the brother of actor Randy Quaid, and attended the Pershing Middle School in Houston. He studied drama at Bellaire High School and continued to do so at the University of Houston.
Dennis Quaid had trouble finding work as an actor, though his brother already found success in films. He was given small roles in several television movies, including Are You in the House Alone? and Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill. He gained recognition when he was cast in 1979’s Breaking Away. This was followed by other roles in Gorp, The Long Riders and Jaws 3-D. In 1983, he received good reviews for his performance in The Right Stuff. He was also given starring roles in the 1985 sci-fi drama Enemy Mine, and played Lt. Tuck Pendleton in Innerspace. He was later cast in Suspect and D.O.A. before landing an acclaimed role as Jerry Lee Lewis in Great Balls of Fire!
During the 1990s, Quaid battled a cocaine addiction that harmed his career. He did, however, manage to host an episode of Saturday Night Live, as well as take on roles like Jack Faulkner in Postcards from the Edge and Undercover Blues. He then gained popularity and good reviews, when he appeared in 1994’s Wyatt Earp alongside Kevin Costner. He was also in Disney’s 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, as well as playing Jack ‘Cap’ Rooney in Any Given Sunday. In 2002, he was cast in Far from Heaven and in 2003’s drama thriller Cold Creek Manor. The next year, he was given a role in the sci-fi horror The Day After Tomorrow. This was followed by In Good Company, and Flight of the Phoenix. He was also cast opposite Rene Russo in the family comedy Yours, Mine and Ours in 2005. In 2008, Dennis Quaid appeared in Vantage Point and signed on for the films The Horsemen, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, The Express, and Pandorum.