Dennis Quaid

Younger brother of Randy Quaid.

Father of Jack Quaid. Uncle of Amanda Quaid.

Is also a musician and occasionally performs with his band, "Dennis Quaid and the Sharks".

Wrote songs for three of his films: The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia , Tough Enough and The Big Easy .

His favorite director of all time is David Lean.

Lived with and was engaged to Lea Thompson for three years. The couple met on the set of Jaws 3-D .

When singing with his band, Dennis Quaid and the Sharks, he always plays with bare feet in order to feel comfortable as if playing in his living room.

Separated from wife Meg Ryan on June 28, 2000 and finalized divorced papers [that said Meg Ryan was able to keep all her jewelry and have joint custody of son Jack and the family car, a Jeep Cherokee] on July 16, 2001.

Was scheduled to appear in the David Lean -directed "Nostromo" in 1991, before Lean died, and the production came to a halt.

Loves golf, and his handicap is 6.

His parents are William (Buddy Quaid ) and Nita Quaid.

Has a half-brother, Buddy Quaid , and a half-sister, Brandy Quaid.

Was asked to play the role of Bob in Halloween because his then-girlfriend P.J. Soles was in the film, but he was working on another project and had to decline.

Attended Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas.

Became engaged to Kimberly Buffington Quaid in 2004.

He attended Pershing Jr. High School in Houston, Texas.

He is a licensed private pilot with single and multiengine instrument ratings. He also has a type rating for the Cessna Citation 500 series twin engine light jet. He regularly flies the jet to his property in Montana.

Brother-in-law of Evi Quaid.

His drama teacher at Bellaire High School and, then, the University of Houston was Cecil Pickett, father of Cindy Pickett.

Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2005 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was suggested in the Worst Actor category for his roles in the films The Alamo and The Day After Tomorrow , he did not receive a nomination however.

Tested for the role of Luke Duke on "The Dukes of Hazzard" , which went to Tom Wopat.

Turned down the role of Thomas Wayne in Batman Begins , which went to Linus Roache.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7018 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on November 16, 2005.

He and brother Randy Quaid are first cousins, twice removed, of performer Gene Autry. Genes maternal grandparents, Andrew Clinton Ozment and Margaret Malinda Pierce, were also Dennis and Randys paternal great-great-grandparents.

He and his ex-wife, Meg Ryan , have both appeared in remakes of films starring James Stewart. Quaid played Stewarts part in the remake of The Flight of the Phoenix . Meg Ryan appeared in Youve Got Mail , which was a remake of The Shop Around the Corner .

Dennis and his wife, Kimberly Buffington Quaid , became the parents of twins, a boy and a girl, on November 8, 2007 in Santa Monica, California. Thomas Boone weighed in at 6 lbs. 12 oz. and Zoe Grace weighed in at 5 lbs. 9 oz.

His newborn twins have been placed in an intensive care unit in a Los Angeles-area hospital after they were reportedly given an accidental drug overdose on November 18, 2007.

His wife, Kimberly Buffington Quaid , is a real estate agent in Austin, Texas for Buffington Signature Homes. His father-in-law, Thomas B. Buffington, is the CEO of the company.

Cousin of Bo Brinkman. First cousin once removed of Corbett Tuck and Dakota Brinkman.

(March 2005) Inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in Austin, Texas.

Was considered for the role of B.J. McKay in "B.J. and the Bear" , which went to Greg Evigan.

With Lea Thompson from 1983-1989.

Longtime friends with Brett Cullen. They both attended the University of Houston and were drama students of Cecil Pickett, father of Cindy Pickett.

He and brother Randy Quaid have both played Doc Holliday: Dennis in Wyatt Earp and Randy in Purgatory .

(June 2007) He recently began doing voice-overs for commercials (radio and television) for the Visa credit card.

As of 2014, has appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Breaking Away , The Right Stuff and Traffic .

Battled anorexia in the mid-1990s, which started when he shed 40 pounds to play Doc Holliday in Wyatt Earp . Quaid comments that "Id look in the mirror and still see a 180-lb. guy, even though I was 138 pounds." He eventually sought treatment and recovered.

Friends with Bradley Cooper.

He is left handed.

There are three things being a celebrity is good for: raising money for,charity, dinner reservations and tee times.

So much of it has to do with luck and I have been extremely lucky, but,a large part of it is also just hanging in there.

Everybody just wants to be famous first, and then maybe learn how to act.

I owe the little formal education I got to my drama teacher, Mr. Pickett, who got us to read Shakespeare, Moliere, and other classics.