Dennis Quaid opens up about late father's impact on his life
Dennis Quaid recently celebrated his 70th birthday. The actor spoke for the first time about the death of his father, who passed away at the age of 63.
Dennis Quaid is extremely busy this year. You can soon watch two movies featuring him in theatres. These are "Reagan," where he portrays the former President of the United States, and "Substance," where he stars alongside Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. The actor promotes his productions by conducting interviews in which he touches on personal topics. In one, he referred to his father's death, William, for the first time.
Dennis Quaid on the loss of his father
In an interview with Al Roker on the "3rd Hour of Today," Quaid spoke for the first time about the death of his father, William R. "Buddy" Quaid. The man died at the age of 63, which had a significant impact on how the actor views life and the passage of time. The journalist asked how, as a 20-year-old, the star imagined being 70. He responded very emotionally, admitting that he didn't have his father as an example.
"I turned 63 and I woke up in the middle of the night about six months after and it just hit me. So I counted the days from my dad's birthday to the time he died, and from my birthday to when I woke up. It was the same number of days. In that night I was older than my dad had been. I still feel like he’s here in my heart and stuff, like that, but it’s… you become… it’s hard to explain," said the actor, noting that it is a very strange feeling to walk this earth longer than your own parent.
The late William Quaid was an electrician, while his wife, Juanita Bonnie Dale, worked as a real estate agent. Their son debuted in the film world in the mid-1970s when he was around 20. Dennis Quaid has been married four times and has three children. His first wife was actress P.J. Soles, with whom he separated in 1983.
Quaid's second wife was Meg Ryan. The fruit of their relationship is Jack Quaid, an actor known, among others, from the series "The Boys." His parents separated when he was only eight years old. In one of his recent interviews, young Quaid commented that for many, he is a so-called "nepo baby," meaning a child of famous parents who only has a career because of that.
"People have called me a 'nepo baby.' I’m inclined to agree. I am an immensely privileged person, was able to get representation pretty early on, and that’s more than half the battle. I knew the door was open for me in a lot of ways that it’s just not for a lot of actors," he added. "And I’ve just tried to work as hard as I possibly can to prove that I deserve to walk through that door," said Jack in an interview with "Daily Beast."
