Dennis Quaid is one of my favourite actors. He has starred in numerous movies that I’ve enjoyed. His most recent is called “Reagan” in which he plays the late former president (who happened to be his favourite). Known for his wide smile (maybe he’s related to Jimmy Carter), I didn’t know much about his personal life… until now.
Growing Up
Dennis William Quaid was born in 1954 in Houston, Texas. His mother was a real estate agent and his father an electrician. His ancestry is a mix of English, Irish, Scottish and French. His older brother, Randy, also became an actor. While in high school, Quaid took classes in drama and dancing (and Mandarin Chinese!). He then attended the University of Houston but dropped out and moved to Hollywood to pursue his dream — acting.
Going Astray
At first, he played minor roles in various films. His big break came in 1983 when he played astronaut, Gordon Cooper, in “The Right Stuff”. After that, his roles became more frequent and significant in comedy, romance, sports, thrillers and drama movies. They include “Great Balls of Fire!” (1989), “Parent Trap” (1998), “The Rookie” (2002) and “Midway” (2019). Quaid is also an accomplished singer, musician (guitar), pilot and golfer (and even tried his hand at movie directing). He was married four times and has three children (his second wife was actress Meg Ryan).
Although raised in a Baptist home, faith only became real to Quaid in the early 1990s when he was around 40 and struggling with cocaine addiction. It began to affect his life and career. He recalls, “I was in a band and we got a record gig… They broke up the night they got it, and they broke up because of me, because I was not reliable.” Describing his descent into addiction, he says, "It was a gradual thing. But it got to the point where I couldn't have any fun unless I had it. Which is a bad place to be… I saw myself being dead in about five years if I didn't stop… I remember going home and having kind of a white light experience that I saw myself either dead or in jail or losing everything I had, and I didn't want that.”
Coming Home
At that point Quaid made a decision to return to his Christian roots. He had turned to drugs to “fill a hole” in his life. He explains. “When you're done with the addiction, you need something to fill that hole, something that really works, right?” So, he checked himself into a rehab centre or (as he calls it) “cocaine school.” Quaid also began rereading the Bible. “That's when I started developing a personal relationship. Before that, I didn't have one, even though I grew up as a Christian… I was struck by the red words of Jesus in the New Testament... Jesus changed my life.”
At that turning point in his life, Quaid wrote and sang his first faith-based song “On My Way to Heaven” dedicating it to his mother. Over three decades later, he released his first Christian album called “Fallen: A Gospel Record For Sinners” (2023). It’s a combination of classical hymns and original songs that he wrote and sings with his band “The Sharks”. In the autobiographical title song, “Fallen” Quaid describes himself as a prodigal son on the devil’s highway who wants to come back home. “I grew up at the Baptist church; I love the hymns that I remember from being a kid. The songs are self-reflective and self-examining, not churchy.”
In 2018, Quaid played the role of an alcoholic father in the Christian movie, “I Can Only Imagine”. The movie was a biopic of Christian singer, Bart Millard, the lead singer of “MercyMe”.
Quaid’s last wife, Laura Savoie, is a Christian and 39 years younger. They make their home in Nashville and Quaid says, "God is in the relationship. I've never had a relationship like that before."
Quaid (now 70) says (with his wide grin), “I'm grateful to still be here, I'm grateful to be alive really every day. It's important to really enjoy your ride in life as much as you can, because there's a lot of challenges and stuff to knock it down… I'm the happiest I've ever been."
Rob Weatherby is a retired pastor.
