Dennis William Quaid was born on April 9, 1954 in Houston, Texas to Juanita Bonniedale "Nita" Quaid (née Jordan), a real estate agent & William Rudy Quaid, an electrician. He grew up in the Houston suburban city of Bellaire. He was raised a Baptist, and studied drama, Mandarin Chinese, and dance while a student
at Bellaire High School. He continued study at the University of
Houston, but dropped out before completing his degree. He moved to Los
Angeles to pursue a film career where his brother,
Randy Quaid, had already began to build a
successful career. However, Dennis initially had trouble finding film
roles, but began to gain notice when he appeared in
Vier irre Typen - Wir schaffen alle, uns schafft keiner (1979) and earned
strong reviews for his role in
Der Stoff aus dem die Helden sind (1983). Aside
from acting, Quaid is also a musician, and plays with his band, "The
Sharks". He holds a flying license and is a five handicap golfer.
