Randall Rudy Quaid was born on October 1, 1950 is an Academy Award-nominated actor and former comedian. He was born in Houston, Texas, and is married to former Helmut Newton model Evi Quaid. Quaid is the older brother of fellow actor Dennis Quaid.

He's acting career started with a bang: a small role in the Oscar-winning drama The Last Picture Show (1971) followed by his own Academy Award nomination for playing a young sailor headed off to military prison in The Last Detail (1973).

Since then Quaid has handled a million character roles, often playing big lugs and goofballs like the crazy Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation films and the Amish bowler Ishmael Boorg in Kingpin (1996). He reprised his The Last Picture Show character for the sequel Texasville (1990) and was a regular on the late-night comedy series Saturday Night Live in 1985-86.

His other feature films include Midnight Express (1978), Fool for Love (1985), Days of Thunder (1990), the sci-fi hit Independence Day (1996), and Brokeback Mountain (2005).

He also starred in The Ice Harvest (2005) and Goya's Ghosts (2007).

Filmography

• Real Time (2007)
• Gary the Tennis Coach (2007)
• Goya's Ghosts (2007)
• "Blade: The Series" (1 episode, 2006)
• "Texas Ranch House" (2006)
• Category 7: The End of the World (2005)
• The Ice Harvest (2005)
• Brokeback Mountain (2005)
• Elvis (2005)
• Category 6: Day of Destruction (2004)
• 5ive Days to Midnight (2004)
• Home on the Range (2004)
• Treasure Island Kids: The Battle of Treasure Island (2004
• Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure (2003)
• Black Cadillac (2003)
• "The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire" (2003)
• Grind (2003)
• Carolina (2003)
• Kart Racer (2003)
• Milwaukee, Minnesota (2003)
• The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
• Frank McKlusky, C.I. (2002)
• Back by Midnight (2002)
• "The Grubbs" (2002)
• Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
• The Day the World Ended (2001)
• "Night Visions" (1 episode, 2001)
• The Kennedys (2001)
• The Thin Blue Lie (2000)
• The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000)
• Mail to the Chief (2000)
• The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns (1999)
• The Debtors (1999)
• Purgatory (1999)
• P.U.N.K.S. (1999)
• Guerre de l'eau, La (1998)
• Hard Rain (1998)
• Valentine's Day (1998)
• Last Rites (1998)
• Bug Buster (1998)
• "Gun" (1 episode, 1997)
• Vegas Vacation (1997)
• Get on the Bus (1996)
• Kingpin (1996)
• Independence Day (1996)
• The Siege at Ruby Ridge (1996)
• Last Dance (1996)
• Moonshine Highway (1996)
• Woman Undone (1996)
• "Streets of Laredo" (1995)
• "Aventures dans le Grand Nord" (1 episode, 1995)
• Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Lightning (1995)
• Bye Bye Love (1995)
• Curse of the Starving Class (1994)
• Next Door (1994)
• Roomates (1994)
• Major League II (1994)
• The Paper (1994)
• Freaked (1993)
• "The Ren & Stimpy Show" (1 episode, 1993)
• Murder in the Heartland (1993)
• Frankenstein (1992)
• "Saturday Night Live" (19 episodes, 1985-1991)
• "Davis Rules" (1991)
• Texasville (1990)
• Quick Change (1990)
• Days of Thunder (1990)
• Bangles Greatest Hits (1990)
• Martians Go Home (1990)
• Cold Dog Soup (1990)
• Christmas Vacation (1989)
• Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989)
• Out Cold (1989)
• Parents (1989)
• Dead Solid Perfect (1988)
• Caddyshack II (1988)
• Moving (1988)
• Evil in Clear River (1988)
• No Man's Land (1987)
• LBJ: The Early Years (1987)
• Sweet Country (1987)
• The Wraith (1986)
• Fool for Love (1985)
• The Slugger's Wife (1985)
• The Wild Life (1984)
• A Streetcar Named Desire (1984)
• Vacation (1983)
• Cowboy (1983)
• Inside the Third Reich (1982)
• Heartbeeps (1981)
• Of Mice and Men (1981)
• The Long Riders (1980)
• Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (1980)
• To Race the Wind (1980)
• Foxes (1980)
• The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang (1979)
• Midnight Express (1978)
• Three Warriors (1978)
• The Choirboys (1977)
• Bound for Glory (1976)
• The Missouri Breaks (1976)
• Breakout (1975)
• The Great Niagara (1974)
• The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974)
• The Last Detail (1973)
• Paper Moon (1973)
• Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973)
• What's Up, Doc? (1972)
• Getting Away from It All (1972)
• "Night Gallery" (1 episode, 1972)
• The Last Picture Show (1971)
• Targets (1968)

Awards

• Golden Globe Award Best Actor in a Made-for-Television Movie "LBJ: The Early Years" 1987