Dennis Quaid at 72: His Life, Movies, Wife Laura Savoie and Net Worth in 2026

ByAnam Ilyas

Dennis Quaid has spent more than five decades moving between Hollywood blockbusters, character-driven dramas, television roles and, increasingly, music. At 72, he is still working at a pace that would be unusual for many performers his age.

Quaid recently narrated the documentary Water Wars, which premiered on Prime Video on September 4, while his action thriller The Florist is scheduled for release in October. He is also set to lead AMC’s Thunder Road, a NASCAR drama expected to debut in 2027. (Prime Video)

Dennis Quaid posing for a portrait in a gray jacket
Image: Dennis Quaid poses for a casual portrait, highlighting the actor’s recognizable look and enduring Hollywood presence. (Source: Dennis Quaid’s official Instagram, @dennisquaid)

Away from the screen, his family has reached another turning point. His 18-year-old twins, Thomas and Zoe, have recently left for college, making Quaid an empty nester while his oldest son, actor Jack Quaid, continues his own Hollywood career. (AOL.com)

From Houston to Hollywood

Dennis William Quaid was born on April 9, 1954, in Houston, Texas. He studied drama at the University of Houston in the early 1970s, where acting teacher Cecil Pickett helped shape his approach to the profession. Quaid has credited the university with giving him the direction and training that allowed him to pursue acting seriously. (University of Houston)

He left college and moved to Los Angeles in 1974 to pursue acting. Early jobs were modest, but his career began to change with films including Breaking Away in 1979. The following years established him as a versatile leading man rather than an actor limited to one genre. (Biography)

The Movies That Defined Dennis Quaid

The 1980s became the period that put Quaid firmly on Hollywood’s radar. His portrayal of astronaut Gordon Cooper in The Right Stuff (1983) became one of his best-known early performances. He followed it with The Big Easy and Innerspace in 1987, showing that he could handle drama, romance, comedy and science fiction with equal confidence. (Golden Globes)

He also played Jerry Lee Lewis in Great Balls of Fire! (1989), a demanding musical biopic that became another defining role. In later years, his filmography expanded further with Dragonheart, The Parent Trap, Any Given Sunday, Frequency, The Rookie, The Day After Tomorrow, In Good Company and Vantage Point. (Golden Globes)

One of Quaid’s most critically recognized performances came in Far From Heaven (2002), earning him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He later played former President Bill Clinton in HBO’s The Special Relationship, earning a 2010 Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie. (Golden Globes)

Close-up portrait of Dennis Quaid wearing a dark shirt
Image: Dennis Quaid gives a relaxed close-up portrait, reflecting his decades-long career as one of Hollywood’s familiar leading men. (Source: Dennis Quaid’s official Instagram, @dennisquaid)

More recently, Quaid appeared in The Long Game and The Substance in 2024. He also portrayed Ronald Reagan in the 2024 biographical film Reagan, bringing the former president’s life to the big screen. (Universal Pictures Home)

Dennis Quaid’s Relationships and Wife

Quaid has been married four times.

His first marriage was to actress P.J. Soles, whom he married in 1978. They divorced in 1983. He later married actress Meg Ryan in 1991. The couple had a son, Jack, before their divorce was finalized in 2001. (People.com)

In 2004, Quaid married real estate agent Kimberly Buffington. They later welcomed twins Thomas and Zoe through a gestational carrier. Their marriage ultimately ended in divorce in 2018 after years of separation and reconciliation. (People.com)

Quaid’s current wife is Laura Savoie. They met in 2019 through a mutual friend and married on June 2, 2020, in Santa Barbara after pandemic-related changes to their original wedding plans. (People.com)

The couple continues to appear together publicly, including at the 2025 Oscars. Quaid has spoken warmly about the relationship, describing Savoie as his life partner and saying their marriage is his closest relationship. (People.com)

A New Chapter in Fatherhood

Quaid’s three children have taken very different paths. Jack, born in 1992, followed his parents into acting and has become known for projects including The Hunger Games and The Boys. (People.com)

Thomas and Zoe, meanwhile, graduated from high school in 2026. Quaid subsequently filed a petition seeking to end his $13,750 monthly child-support payments to Buffington, citing the terms of the couple’s 2018 divorce agreement, which provided for payments to end when the children completed 12th grade under specified conditions. The latest reporting found no public indication of a final ruling on that petition. (People.com)

By late August and early September, the family’s transition had become personal rather than legal: Quaid said both twins had started college. Zoe is attending the University of Virginia, while Thomas is at the University of Colorado Boulder. (AOL.com)

Dennis Quaid’s Net Worth

Dennis Quaid’s net worth is not a publicly audited figure, so estimates vary.

As of July 2026, Celebrity Net Worth estimates his fortune at about $20 million. The site says Quaid’s income has come from decades of film and television work, advertising, residuals and other entertainment activities. It also cites court records showing that his yearly earnings have varied considerably. (Celebrity Net Worth)

Some secondary celebrity websites have published higher estimates, including $30 million, but those figures are not independently verified. For that reason, $20 million is best presented as an estimate rather than a confirmed net worth. (Briefly)

What Dennis Quaid Is Doing Now

Quaid’s 2026 career suggests retirement is nowhere on the immediate horizon.

He recently narrated Water Wars, a documentary about a legal conflict over West Texas water rights. Paramount+’s Happy Face, in which he played real-life serial killer Keith Jesperson, premiered in 2025 but was canceled after one season. (Prime Video)

Next comes The Florist, an action thriller starring Quaid alongside Jean Reno, with its October 2026 release currently being promoted. Beyond film, AMC has greenlit Thunder Road, giving Quaid the lead role of fictional racing legend Duane Whitlock, with the series planned for 2027. (BroadwayWorld)

Dennis Quaid playing an acoustic guitar while sitting indoors
Image: Dennis Quaid plays guitar in a relaxed setting, showcasing his musical side away from the Hollywood spotlight. (Source: Dennis Quaid’s official Instagram, @dennisquaid)

Dennis Quaid’s career has never followed a single lane. From Breaking Away and The Right Stuff to The Parent Trap, The Rookie, Reagan, The Substance and Happy Face, he has repeatedly moved between genres and generations of audiences.

At 72, that adaptability remains central to his story. His marriage to Laura Savoie, his children’s transition into adulthood and a slate of new screen projects show an actor who has entered another stage of his life without stepping away from the work that made him famous.

Sources

I’m 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗺 𝗜𝗹𝘆𝗮𝘀, an MPhil graduate in Forensic Science from Government College University, Lahore, with a background in Medical Laboratory Technology. I’ve always been curious about science and enjoy turning complex ideas into simple, engaging, and easy-to-understand content.

At 𝘾𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙨𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖, I look forward to bringing that curiosity into my writing by creating well-researched stories that are informative, clear, and enjoyable to read. I believe good writing should not only share information but also make readers want to keep reading and learn something along the way.

Outside of writing, reading is one of my favorite ways to spend my time. I’ve also always enjoyed drawing and sketching, although that hobby has taken a little back seat lately. Hopefully, I’ll pick up my pencils again someday and reconnect with that creative side of me.

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