Dennis Quaid

The son of an electrician, Dennis Quaid was born April 9, 1954, in Houston. He studied drama at the University of Houston but dropped out to relocate to Hollywood, where his older brother, Randy, had already started an acting career.

A bit part in Crazy Mama (1975) led to Quaid's first major role in the 1977 drama September 30, 1955. He gained notoriety as a rebellious townie in the sleeper hit Breaking Away (1979), resulting in higher-profile parts. Quaid scored a career breakthrough four years later playing astronaut Gordon Cooper in The Right Stuff, a role that turned the actor into a bankable leading man in movies such The Big Easy (1986) and Suspect (1987).

Among Quaid's other big-screen credits are Great Balls of Fire (1989) and Far from Heaven (2002), for which he earned a Golden Globe nod. His TV work includes an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated turn as Bill Clinton in the HBO film The Special Relationship (2010).

Filmography