Dennis Quaid

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' (qv), 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 _Breaking Away (1979)_ (qv) and earned strong reviews for his role in _The Right Stuff (1983)_ (qv). 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.::Matt Dicker-update by Brian Daly