You may recognize Dennis Quaid from popular films like The Rookie, Any Given Sunday, The Parent Trap, and Legion. He’s a talented actor, known for the work he puts into his characters and the dedication he brings to his craft.
Sometimes, the role an actor plays can affect them deeply, even the person they are outside of the movie industry. Recently, a particular movie role helped this famous actor reconnect with his lost faith.
Dennis Quaid grew up Texas, son to Juanita and William Rudy Quaid, a real estate agent and electrician respectively. He was born on April 9, 1954. His family were devout Baptists and growing up in a faith-filled household was always something he cherished.
“I grew up in a Baptist church, went to Sunday school, and then I got baptized when I was nine and made the decision the same day as my brother. My brother and I, Randy, were both baptized on the same day.”
After finishing high school, Quaid attended the University of Houston — but he wasn’t there for long. He dropped out college and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.
Like most people just starting out, Quaid initially struggled to find acting jobs. But he eventually found work, appearing in Breaking Away — the movie launched his career and soon the offers for work were rolling in.
At some point, during his time as a working actor in Hollywood, Quaid lost touch with his faith. It had once been an important part of his life that helped to keep him grounded and connected to his family.
He struggled with an eating disorder and drug addiction. He eventually found the strength to conquer his demons and get healthy, but Quaid still struggled with his relationship with God. It wasn’t until he began to travel more that he looked inward for answers about his own faith.
“The question I had as I went around the world was ‘Who is God?’ I became a seeker really… I read the Bible cover to cover. For me, it’s Jesus… it’s the red words of Jesus. How simple it is. There really is redemption and that was the inspiration.”
Quaid began writing music, in particular, a song called “On My Way to Heaven” for his mother. But, for some reason, he was never quite able to finish the song. Until 25 years later…
Fast-forward a couple of decades and Quaid lands a part in the movie, I Can Only Imagine.
“What moved me about finishing it really was my character of Arthur and how he found grace. That’s the beautiful thing about the good news that Jesus was talking about,” said Quaid of his character in the movie.
Finally, Quaid was able to reconnect with his own faith and he finally finished that song — just in time for his mother’s 91st birthday.
Watch more of Dennis inspirational story in the video below:
A movie role was able to help a famous actor reconnect with his true identity. Please share with someone who would appreciate Dennis Quaid’s story of faith.
