Randy Quaid has been appearing since 1971, and although he might now be higher recognized for his stances on politics and tradition, his filmography consists of a formidable quantity of notable and celebrated roles in motion pictures and on tv. The older brother of Dennis Quaid and the uncle to Jack Quaid, Randy Quaid was born on October 1, 1950, in Houston, Texas, and commenced appearing in highschool. It didn’t take lengthy for him to earn his first skilled function, and in 1971, he was solid within the Oscar-winning The Final Image Present as Lester Marlow.
Such a function is what would come to outline Randy’s profession over the subsequent three many years. He ended up showing in lots of extra dramatic comedies and fewer critical comedies through the years, although he at all times discovered probably the most success in charming however earnest movies. Emmy and Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning, Quaid was a really profitable actor. It makes his fall from grace within the 2010s and 2020s all of the more unusual, with authorized troubles and dips into the political enviornment. Nonetheless, we have now these roles to fondly look again on.
10
Saturday Evening Dwell (1975-Current)
Forged Member (17 Episodes, 1985-1986)
Randy Quaid was a part of the Saturday Evening Dwell solid for season 11 (and for one uncredited look in season 16). This was the primary season Michael Lorne returned to the sketch comedy sequence after a five-year hiatus, and as an alternative of casting up-and-comers, he solid recognized portions. Quaid appeared alongside Anthony Michael Corridor, Robert Downey Jr., and Joan Cusack, all of their first yr. They joined veterans like Jon Lovitz and Dennis Miller.
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These actors couldn’t join with the group in addition to the casts from earlier seasons, and for probably the most half, floundered. Quaid memorably performed Ed McMahon, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan in his tenure, however solely had a couple of unique characters, like Rudy Randolph Jr. and Floating Head. It is a feather in his cap to be on the present, however Quaid’s tenure is usually forgotten.
9
Midnight Specific (1978)
Jimmy Sales space
In Midnight Specific, primarily based on Billy Hayes’ 1977 memoir of the identical title, an American school pupil, Billy Hayes (Brad Davis), is shipped to jail whereas overseas in Turkey for making an attempt to smuggle out cannabis from the nation. Within the brutal jail, he meets a couple of different foreigners, together with Jimmy Sales space (Randy Quaid). Jimmy is in jail for stealing two candlesticks from a mosque. Jimmy joins Hayes in his makes an attempt to flee the jail.
On their final try, the sadistic jail guard Hamidou (Paul L. Smith) suspects Jimmy of being concerned and takes him away. He is by no means seen once more. It is a shifting and unhappy function by Quaid, who injects as a lot humor as he can into a movie that is grim and infrequently powerful to observe. His departure from the movie is a sobering reminder of what Hayes really went via.
8
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Joe Aguirre
Brokeback Mountain is likely one of the best movies of the 21st century and for good purpose. Based mostly on the 1997 quick story of the identical title by Annie Proulx, Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain is a heartbreaking story a couple of homosexual romance between two cowboys, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), who understand their emotions for each other whereas engaged on a pasture in Nineteen Sixties Wyoming, the final place that kind of love was tolerated.
Randy Quaid co-stars as Joe Aguirre, the rancher who hires Ennis and Jack within the first place. Joe would not just like the younger males to start with, and when he catches them sleeping collectively, he is even colder. It is a harsh half, and one which Quaid performs with essential simplicity. He would not approve of the approach to life, however a surly, stoic cowboy will not make a giant scene out of something both.
7
Mother and father (1989)
Nick Laemle
Randy Quaid stars within the black comedy horror movie, Mother and father, as Nick Laemle, the daddy of a household of three who transfer from Massachusetts to California. Nick’s younger son, Michael (Bryan Madorsky), has an energetic creativeness and begins to suspect there’s one thing sinister happening along with his mother and father, specifically, that they’re cannibals and are attempting to show him into one as effectively. It is absurd and bloody and lots of enjoyable.
Whereas the movie itself would not at all times perceive what tone it needs to be, Quaid goes for it in each scene he is in.
Nick is an ideal character for Quaid. There is a fatherly side to the actor, which is vital for making it appear to be every thing at house is alright, however there’s additionally a touch of madness in his eye, which makes his flip to human devourer plausible. Whereas the movie itself would not at all times perceive what tone it needs to be, Quaid goes for it in each scene he is in.
6
A Streetcar Named Want (1984)
Harold ‘Mitch’ Mitchell
- Launch Date
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March 4, 1984
- Runtime
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119 minutes
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Ann-Margret
Blanche DuBois
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Deal with Williams
Stanley Kowalski
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Beverly D’Angelo
Stella DuBois Kowalski
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Randy Quaid
Harold “Mitch” Mitchell
A Streetcar Named Want is a TV film primarily based on Tennessee Williams’ 1947 play of the identical title, which was additionally the premise for the critically acclaimed film starring Marlon Brando, which got here out in 1951. The 1984 model is nowhere close to as culturally vital as Brando’s, nevertheless it’s surprisingly efficient, and never only a rehash of the Elia Kazan-directed film. Randy Quaid performs Harold “Mitch” Mitchell, Stanley’s (Deal with Williams) good friend who falls in love with Blanche (Ann-Margret).
Mitch is performed by Karl Malden within the 1951 movie.
Quaid presents Mitch’s journey from a silly younger man, to somebody able to extra, again all the way down to a dolt once more in glorious vogue. He’s a momma’s boy with little skill to do something with out the encouragement of others, however his soft-spoken type brings out one of the best in whoever he occurs to be sharing a scene with. Quaid was nominated for an Emmy for his function.
5
Nationwide Lampoon’s Christmas Trip (1989)
Cousin Eddie Johnson
Randy Quaid really seems in 4 of the National Lampoon Vacation movies, together with one devoted completely to him, Christmas Trip 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Journey. Quaid performs Cousin Eddie Johnson in every movie, nevertheless it’s Nationwide Lampoon’s Christmas Trip that’s by far his finest work within the sequence. In that vacation traditional, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) makes an attempt to host an old style Christmas along with his household, however every thing retains going flawed.
Eddie is Catherine’s (Miriam Flynn) husband, who’s Ellen’s (Beverly D’Angelo) cousin, which implies there are a couple of levels of separation between him and Clark. So although they know each other, they don’t seem to be precisely shut. Eddie is a little bit of a redneck with manners that at all times get on Clark’s nerves. It is a hilarious and ridiculous efficiency from Quaid, who completely mimics a personality most followers shall be all too accustomed to.
4
Elvis (2005)
‘Colonel’ Tom Parker (2 Episodes, 2005)
- Launch Date
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2005 – 2005-00-00
- Administrators
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James Steven Sadwith
- Writers
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Patrick Sheane Duncan
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Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Uncredited
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Jonathan Rhys Meyers
‘Colonel’ Tom Parker
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Michael St. Gerard
Sam Phillips
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Millie Perkins
Priscilla Presley
Elvis is a 2005 CBS two-part miniseries that chronicles the incredible climb of Elvis Presley (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), monitoring him from his highschool years all the best way to worldwide stardom. The sequence goes deep into the darker features of Elvis’ rise to fame and examines the risks he encountered that ended up harming him. One of the crucial vital was Colonel Tom Parker (Randy Quaid), who was Elvis’ risky supervisor.
This model of Parker could be very two-dimensional in comparison with the Hanks’ model from 2022’s Elvis, who hides his nefarious facet with a type of fatherly angle. Quaid is offended and brash, kicking round Elvis virtually like a pet. Quaid received a SAG and was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his efficiency. It is the final vital efficiency of his profession as of 2025.
3
LBJ: The Early Years (1987)
Lyndon Baines Johnson
LBJ: The Early Years
- Launch Date
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February 1, 1987
- Runtime
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155 minutes
Forged
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Patti LuPone
Claudia Alta ‘Woman Fowl’ Taylor Johnson
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Randy Quaid
Lyndon Baines Johnson
-
-
Barry Corbin
Choose Alvin J. Wirtz
LBJ: The Early Years is a made-for-TV film that, because the title implies, depicts the early years of Lyndon B. Johnson, performed by Randy Quaid. It particularly examines the time in his life earlier than he turned the thirty sixth president of the US. The movie begins with him as a clerk for a congressman and ends with him taking the oath of workplace on board Air Pressure One simply after Kennedy (Charles Frank) is assassinated.
There is a refusal to again down with Johnson that Quaid nails, however beneath the bravado is somebody concerned with succeeding for probably good causes
Quaid manages to play all sides of the multi-faceted politician. He is loud and freewheeling as a younger Texan congressman, however he will get extra politically astute and intelligent as he climbs the political ladder. There is a refusal to again down with Johnson that Quaid nails, however beneath the bravado is somebody concerned with succeeding for probably good causes. Quaid was nominated for an Emmy for the function and received the Golden Globe.
2
Independence Day (1996)
Russell Casse
For a sure cohort of viewers, Russell Casse is the function they may at all times affiliate with Randy Quaid, and for good purpose. Russell is a supporting character within the massively standard Independence Day. A former fight pilot, Russell has claimed for a decade that he was kidnapped by aliens, however is now a lonely alcoholic and single father with lots of regrets. Whereas the arrival of aliens on Earth is a catastrophe for many everybody else, Russell is lastly vindicated.
He is a goofy and lovable character, and his tragic backstory and fall into despair is likely one of the extra heartbreaking storylines within the movie. Russell earns some of the heroic deaths in movie historical past in the direction of the top of Independence Day. With the alien ship about to fireside, Russell flies his airplane proper into the primary gun, laughing all the best way, and ending the invasion for good.
1
The Final Element (1973)
Meadows
- Launch Date
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December 11, 1973
- Runtime
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104 minutes
- Director
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Hal Ashby
- Writers
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Robert Towne
One in every of Randy Quaid’s earliest roles was additionally one in all his most celebrated. The Final Element is a Hal Ashby comedy-drama starring Jack Nicholson as Signalman 1st Class Billy L. “Badass” Buddusky and Otis Younger as Gunner’s Mate 1st Class Richard “Mule” Mulhall, two Navy-men assigned to carry an 18-year-old sailor, Seaman Laurence M. “Larry” Meadows (Quaid) to jail after he is court-martialed. Coming to love the younger man, the 2 older sailors attempt to make the journey to jail as nice as attainable.
Quaid is incredible within the function, and he earned each an Academy Award and a Golden Globe nomination for his efficiency. A candy younger man who’s making an attempt to maintain his chin up, the best way his bravado falters all through the movie is as heartbreaking as it’s usually humorous. It is a profound movie, and Randy Quaid is as much as the duty because the soul of the movie.
