Randy Quaid

Actor Randy Quaid earned notice for his characterizations of good-natured bumblers and hapless hillbillies in many acclaimed 1970s films before going on to enjoy a long career that netted him Academy, Golden Globe, and Emmy Award nominations. Following his Oscar nomination for playing opposite Jack Nicholson as a pair of sailors on leave in Hal Ashby's superb "The Last Detail" (1973) as well as a string of movies with some of the best filmmakers of the era, Quaid raised his comedic profile with "National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983) and its many sequels, as well as starring roles in the unsettling indie comedy "Parents" (1989) and the Farrelly Brothers' slapstick bowling outing, "Kingpin" (1996). Always adept at lending a dark twist to his charismatic roles as criminals, sheriffs, and politicians, Quaid was aligned with the occasional blockbuster like "Days of Thunder" (1990), "Independence Day" (1996), and "Brokeback Mountain" (2005), while consistently earning praise for portraying larger-than-life figures like President Lyndon B. Johnson and Elvis' showy manager Col. Tom Parker in television movies. The towering, bear-like Texan leveraged his size to be both menacing and unexpectedly gentle and never failed to make an impression during his 40-plus years on the screen.