Randy Quaid Biography
Born: October 01, 1950
Whether he is playing a clumsy redneck, spoofing an American president, or portraying a quietly psychotic father, Randy Quaid has a screen and stage presence that is difficult to ignore. Part of this is due to his physical appearance. The curly headed Quaid stands a muscular 6'4" tall, and unlike his handsome younger brother, Dennis, he is an ordinary-looking man with a flexible face that enables him to disappear into a wide variety of characters.
An electrician's son, the Houston-born and raised Quaid was majoring in drama at the University of Houston and working as a standup comedian with actor Trey_Wilson when he met Peter_Bogdanovich. The young director was impressed with Quaid and cast him in a number of his films, beginning with Targets (1968), then The_Last_Picture_Show (1971), Paper_Moon (1973), and Texasville (1990). In 1973, Quaid received an Oscar nomination for his moving portrayal of a convicted, bewildered sailor escorted to prison by guards Jack_Nicholson and Otis_Young in The_Last_Detail. Other notable Quaid performances can be found in Midnight_Express (1978), the National Lampoon Vacation films of the '80s and '90s, The Curse of the Starving Class (1994), and Kingpin (1996). In 1999, he stepped in front of the camera for his wife, Evi Quaid, in High Expectations, her directorial debut. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival that year.
Though successful in feature films, Quaid has had even better luck on television. The burly actor has excelled on the small screen since making his debut in the 1971 movie Getting_Away_From_It_All. He has been nominated for an Emmy for playing President Lyndon B. Johnson in the NBC miniseries LBJ: The Early Years (1986), a role that also won him a Golden Globe award. Quaid's television work extends beyond the dramatic: During the 1985-1986 season, he was a regular on NBC's sketch comedy series Saturday_Night_Live, and starred in the sitcom Davis Rules from 1991 until 1992. In addition to his film and television career, Quaid has also found success on-stage in both New York and Los Angeles. Sandra Brennan, Rovi
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