Randy Quaid
|
|
Randall Rudy Quaid (born October 1, 1950 in Houston, Texas), commonly known as Randy Quaid, is an actor and the elder brother of fellow actor Dennis Quaid. In a career that spans over 30 years, he has appeared in over 90 movies. Peter Bogdanovich discovered him when Quaid was a student at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. He got his first exposure (in more ways than one) in The Last Picture Show, when escorting Jacy Farrow (played by Cybill Shepherd) to late-night indoor skinny dipping at a swimming pool. It was the first of several roles he has had which were directed by Bogdanovich and/or based on the writings of Larry McMurtry.
Quaid appeared in several National Lampoon's Vacation movies. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in The Last Detail (1973) and won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of President Lyndon Johnson in LBJ: The Early Years (1987) He was featured (with Margaret Colin) in two science fiction movies, the unsuccessful Martians Go Home and very successful Independence Day.
His television appearances include a season as a SNL cast member (1985-1986), the role of real-life gunslinger John Wesley Hardin in the mini-series Streets of Laredo, and a starring role in the awkwardly-titled The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire (2003).
He also provided the voice of an animated Colonel Sanders character in a series of commercials for fried chicken restaurant chain KFC.
He also had a part in the Roland Emmerich directed movie Independence Day (movie). He played Russell Casse, a retired fighter pilot, who is a drunk family loving man. He returns to combat after the aliens are endangering Earth. He is the hero of America, when he is the only one with a missile, and it jams and he must take drastic measures to save earth.