Age, Biography, and Wiki
Dennis Quaid was born on April 9, 1954, in Houston, Texas. He comes from a middle-class family where his father worked as an electrician and his mother was a real estate agent. Quaid attended the University of Houston before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting. His breakout role came in 1979 with the film Breaking Away. Quaid is known for his roles in films like The Right Stuff, Great Balls of Fire, The Parent Trap, and The Day After Tomorrow.
| Occupation | Voice Actors |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 9 April 1954 |
| Age | 71 Years |
| Birth Place | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Aries |
| Country | U.S |
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific recent measurements are not readily available, Dennis Quaid is generally reported to be around 6 feet (183 cm) tall.
| Height | 183 cm |
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Dating & Relationship Status
Dennis Quaid has been married four times. His current wife is Laura Savoie, a model whom he married in June 2020 after initially postponing their wedding due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to this, he was married to Kimberly Buffington, with whom he has twins, and before that, to Meg Ryan and P.J. Soles.
Quaid also acted in The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981), Jaws 3-D (1983), Come See the Paradise (1990), Any Given Sunday (1999), Traffic (2000), American Dreamz (2006), Footloose (2011), Playing for Keeps (2012), Truth (2015), Midway (2019), Strange World (2022), and The Substance (2024). He portrayed President Bill Clinton in the HBO film The Special Relationship (2010), earning nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He also portrayed Deputy U.S. Marshal Sherrill Lynn in the Paramount+ Western series Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023), and President Ronald Reagan in the biopic Reagan (2024).
He has English, Irish, Scots-Irish, and Cajun (French) ancestry. Through his father, Quaid is a first cousin, twice removed, of cowboy performer Gene Autry. Quaid attended Paul W. Horn Elementary School in Bellaire and Pershing Middle School in Houston. He studied Mandarin Chinese and dance at Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas, and later in college, at the University of Houston, under drama coach Cecil Pickett, who had previously taught at Bellaire High and whose daughter is actress Cindy Pickett. Quaid was raised in the Baptist faith. He is the younger brother of actor Randy Quaid.
Quaid's career lost steam in the early 1990s after he fought anorexia nervosa, brought on when he lost 40 pounds to play the tuberculosis-afflicted Doc Holliday in the Western drama Wyatt Earp (1994), and recovered from a cocaine addiction. However, Quaid continued to garner positive reviews in a variety of films. He played the lead role in the 1996 adventure film Dragonheart, and starred in the remake of The Parent Trap (1998) directed by Nancy Meyers, playing the part the twins' divorced father. He also starred as an aging pro football quarterback in Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday (1999) and in the science fiction film Frequency (2000). He was the guest star of a Season 2 episode of Muppets Tonight (1997). In 1998, Quaid made his debut as a film director with Everything That Rises, a television movie Western in which Quaid also starred.
In 2000, Quaid acted in Steven Soderbergh's critically acclaimed crime drama Traffic. Quaid earned a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture along with the ensemble. He gained acclaim for his role in the Norman Jewison–directed HBO film Dinner with Friends (2001), based on the Donald Margulies play of the same name; Quaid acted alongside Andie MacDowell, Greg Kinnear, and Toni Collette. In 2002, Quaid portrayed former baseball pitcher Jim Morris in the Walt Disney sports drama The Rookie (2002). That same year, he earned acclaim for his role as the closeted husband Frank Whitaker during the 1950s in the Todd Haynes–directed romantic period film Far From Heaven. Quaid acted alongside Julianne Moore and earned a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture after winning the Independent Spirit Award and the New York Film Critics Circle Award.
Quaid returned to television, portraying U.S. President Bill Clinton alongside Michael Sheen as Tony Blair and Hope Davis as Hillary Clinton, in the HBO film The Special Relationship (2009). He received acclaim as well as nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie as well as a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2012 and 2013, Quaid played Sheriff Ralph Lamb in the CBS TV drama series Vegas. In 2015, he made guest appearances playing Lucky Luciano in Drunk History and a chief and a judge in Inside Amy Schumer. From 2015 to 2016, Quaid played Samuel Brukner in the Crackle series The Art of More. He played Michael Lennox in the British series Fortitude in 2017, and Wade Blackwood in the Amazon Prime legal series Goliath in 2019.
In 2017, Quaid starred in A Dog's Purpose as Ethan Montgomery, billed as "a celebration of the special connection between humans and their dogs." The following year, Quaid starred in I Can Only Imagine, where he played Arthur Millard, the father of singer and songwriter Bart Millard, and Kin, where he plays Hal, the father of the film's two protagonists. In 2019, Quaid portrayed Vice Admiral William 'Bull' Halsey in the war drama Midway. In 2022, he voiced a leading role in the Walt Disney Animated film Strange World. In 2023, Quaid starred in the sports drama The Hill (2023).
Quaid has been married four times and has three children. He met his first wife, actress P. J. Soles, on the set of the film Our Winning Season. They were married in 1978 and divorced in 1983.
On October 21, 2019, Quaid confirmed his engagement to Laura Savoie. Their original wedding plans were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they married on June 2, 2020, in Santa Barbara. Savoie is a CPA and yoga instructor, 39 years his junior, who shares his Christian faith. Quaid says, "God is in the relationship. I've never had a relationship like that before." Together, they launched the production company Bonniedale Films, based in Nashville, where they live.
Quaid is a Christian, coming to faith around 1990 after struggling with addiction. He wrote the Christian song "On My Way to Heaven", dedicated to his mother and included in the film I Can Only Imagine, in which Quaid starred.
| Parents | |
| Husband | P. J. Soles (m. 1978-1983) Meg Ryan (m. 1991-2001) Kimberly Buffington (m. 2004-2018) Laura Savoie (m. 2020) |
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Net Worth and Salary
As of 2025, Dennis Quaid's net worth is estimated at $30 million, primarily accumulated from his extensive acting career, music ventures, real estate investments, and endorsements. His annual salary can vary, but during his divorce from Kimberly Buffington, it was reported that he earns between $1 million and $4 million annually.
Buffington filed for divorce from Quaid in March 2012. Buffington's attorney then withdrew the divorce papers on April 26, 2012. That summer, Quaid and Buffington moved to California. In October 2012, he and Buffington again decided to separate, and Buffington filed for legal separation, seeking joint legal and sole physical custody of the twins. After waiting to establish the required six months of residency in California, Quaid filed for divorce on November 30, 2012, asking for joint legal and physical custody of the children and offering to pay spousal support to Buffington. They then reconciled, and the divorce was dismissed by September 2013. On June 28, 2016, the couple announced in a joint statement that they were divorcing, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason, with Buffington asking for full physical custody and joint legal custody. The divorce was finalized on April 27, 2018.
Career, Business, and Investments
Quaid's career took off in the 1980s with notable roles in films like The Right Stuff and Great Balls of Fire. He has appeared in numerous successful films and television shows, including Frequency, The Rookie, and Vegas. Apart from acting, Quaid is involved in music with his band, Dennis Quaid and The Sharks, and has invested in real estate, owning properties in Montana, California, and Texas.
Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in Breaking Away (1979), The Right Stuff (1983), The Big Easy (1986), Innerspace (1987), Great Balls of Fire! (1989), Dragonheart (1996), The Parent Trap (1998), Frequency (2000), The Rookie (2002), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), In Good Company (2004), Flight of the Phoenix (2004), Yours, Mine & Ours (2005), and Vantage Point (2008). Quaid received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Far from Heaven (2002). In 2009, The Guardian named him one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination.
Quaid dropped out of the University of Houston before graduating and moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. He made his film debut in an uncredited role in the action comedy film Crazy Mama (1975) starring Cloris Leachman. Quaid then acted in the psychological drama I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977) and the drama September 30, 1955 (1977). He initially had trouble finding work but began to gain notice after appearing in Breaking Away (1979) and the musical drama The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981), During this time, Quaid appeared in a variety of films, such as the drama Our Winning Season (1978), the comedy The Seniors (1978), the romantic comedy All Night Long (1981), and the slapstick comedy Caveman (1981). He portrayed outlaw Ed Miller in the Walter Hill–directed Western drama The Long Riders (1980). Quaid appeared as an extra at a graduation ceremony in the Ivan Reitman–directed comedy Stripes (1981) starring Bill Murray.
Quaid married Texas real estate agent Kimberly Buffington on July 4, 2004, at his ranch in Paradise Valley, Montana. They have fraternal twins who were born via a surrogate on November 8, 2007, in Santa Monica, California.
Social Network
While specific details about his social network presence are not emphasized, Dennis Quaid is active in the entertainment industry and engages with fans through his professional work and occasional public appearances.
In 1987, Quaid starred in the neo-noir romance thriller The Big Easy (1987) opposite Ellen Barkin. Hal Hinson of The Washington Post praised his performance, comparing him to Jack Nicholson: "The same is true for Quaid. A gator grin spreading over his face, Quaid is so unabashedly full of himself that you get swept up in his enthusiastic high spirits. He's a life-giver, like Nicholson." For his performance. Quaid received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead. He also achieved acclaim for his portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis in Great Balls of Fire! (1989) acting alongside Winona Ryder. In 1989, Quaid also appeared throughout the Bonnie Raitt music video for the song "Thing Called Love."
Quaid then acted in films in various genres, such as the thriller Cold Creek Manor (2003), the survival drama Flight of the Phoenix (2004), the war film The Alamo (2004), the romantic comedy In Good Company (2004), the disaster film The Day After Tomorrow (2004), and the family comedy Yours, Mine & Ours (2005). He played the president in the political comedy American Dreamz (2006) with Hugh Grant, Mandy Moore, Marcia Gay Harden, and Willem Dafoe. In 2008, Quaid starred in the political action thriller Vantage Point (2008) alongside Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, and Forest Whitaker. That same year, he portrayed football coach Ben Schwartzwalder in the sports drama The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (2008). In 2009, Quaid portrayed General Clayton M. Abernathy / Hawk in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009). He also acted in Pandorum (2009) and guest starred in an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, playing Mr. Krabs' grandfather, Captain Redbeard.
Quaid is a fan of the Houston Astros, and after the team's 2005 National League Championship–winning season, he narrated their commemorative DVD release. After the filming of The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, Quaid went to Cleveland Browns Stadium to dedicate Davis's jersey.
In a 2018 interview with the New York Post, Quaid stated he was a registered independent and has voted for both Democratic and Republican candidates, saying that he did not consider himself an adherent to any particular ideology; though he did opine that Ronald Reagan was his favorite president of his lifetime. In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Quaid stated that President Donald Trump was handling the pandemic well, calling him "involved." Quaid subsequently recorded an interview with infectious-disease expert Anthony Fauci as part of an advertising campaign by the Department of Health and Human Services to "defeat despair" surrounding COVID-19.
Education
Quaid attended the University of Houston before deciding to pursue a career in acting in Los Angeles. He did not graduate from the university but proceeded to develop his acting skills through early roles in films.
For Far from Heaven (2002), Quaid won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. He received nominations for Best Supporting Actor from the Golden Globe Awards, the Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Quaid was also honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award from his alma mater, the University of Houston, in April 2012.
