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Quaid in 2005, photo by Starfrenzy /www.bigstockphoto.com/
Birth Name: Randall Rudy Quaid
Place of Birth: Houston, Harris, Texas, U.S.
Date of Birth: October 1, 1950
Ethnicity: English, Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Irish, German
Randy Quaid is an American actor. His roles include the films The Last Picture Show , What’s Up, Doc? ; The Last Detail , Paper Moon , Lolly-Madonna XXX , The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz , Breakout (1975), Bound for Glory , The Missouri Breaks , The Choirboys , Three Warriors , Midnight Express , Foxes (1980), The Long Riders , Heartbeeps , National Lampoon’s Vacation , and its sequels, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Vegas Vacation ; The Wild Life , Fool for Love , The Slugger’s Wife , The Wraith , No Man’s Land (1987), Moving (1988), Caddyshack II , Parents , Bloodhounds of Broadway , Out Cold (1989), Texasville , Quick Change , Martians Go Home , Days of Thunder , Freaked , The Paper (1994), Bye Bye Love , Last Dance , Kingpin , Independence Day (1996), Hard Rain , Bug Buster , The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle , Not Another Teen Movie , The Adventures of Pluto Nash , Frank McKlusky, C.I. ; Grind (2003), Kart Racer , Home on the Range , Brokeback Mountain , The Ice Harvest , Goya’s Ghosts , Real Time (2008), and The Christmas Letter ; the made-for-tv movies Guyana Tragedy , Inside the Third Reich , A Streetcar Named Desire (1984), LBJ: The Early Years , Dead Solid Perfect , Roommates (1994), Moonshine Highway , The Siege at Ruby Ridge , Purgatory (1999), and Elvis (2005); the mini-series Category 6: Day of Destruction ; and the shows Saturday Night Live and Davis Rules .
He is the son of Juanita “Nita” Bonniedale (Jordan), a real estate agent, and William Rudy Quaid, an electrician. His younger brother is actor Dennis Quaid , and his nephew is actor Jack Quaid . He is married to film director Evi Quaid. He has a daughter with his former wife, model Ella Marie Jolly.
Randy has English, Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Irish, and German ancestry. During his interview on Inside the Actors Studio , 2002, Randy’s brother Dennis stated that he has Irish and Cajun ancestry. It is not clear where this Cajun lineage may originate from. None of Randy’s grandparents or great-grandparents were born in Louisiana, the state that is home to Cajun culture.
Randy’s paternal great-great-great-great-grandparents, Silas Ebenezer Moore and Mourning Dumas Folsom, were said to have been of partially and/or fully Choctaw Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this is accurate.
Randy’s patrilineal line can be traced to Walter Simpson Quaid, who was born, c. 1780, in Kilfinny, County Limerick, Ireland.
Randy’s paternal grandfather was William Jessie/Jesse Quaid (the son of John Thomas Quaid and Martha Louisa Lola Ozment). William was born in Texas, to parents from Texas. John was the son of Benjamin Walter Quaid and Martha Elizabeth Bell. Randy’s great-grandmother Martha was the daughter of Andrew Clinton Ozment and Margaret Malinda/Melinda Pierce.
Randy’s paternal grandmother was Grace Dakota Corbett (the daughter of Robin Corbett and Edna Greener). Grace was born in South Dakota. Robin was born in Corydon, Wayne, Iowa, the son of John Ard Corbett and Mary Jane Robinson. Edna was born in Wisconsin, the daughter of Christian Greener, who was German; and of Albina Ellen Taylor.
Randy’s maternal grandfather was George Waymon Jordan (the son of Nathan James Hezicar Henry Clay Jordan and Martha Ellen Austin). George was born in Tennessee. Nathan was the son of Thomas Jordan and Nancy Tabitha Clark. Martha was the daughter of Thomas M./J. Austin and Sarah Pelina Beavert.
Randy’s maternal grandmother was Ollie Lula French (the daughter of Gardner Zale French and Dezzie/Dessy Octavia/Octava Cagle). Ollie was born in Texas. Gardner was the son of Azale J. “Zale” French and Sarah Moore. Dezzie was the daughter of James Pinkney Cagle and Rebecca Jane Clardy.
Randy is a first cousin, twice removed, of performer Gene Autry, known as The Singing Cowboy. Randy’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Andrew Clinton Ozment and Margaret Malinda Pierce, were the maternal grandparents of Gene Autry. Randy is also a cousin of actors Corbett Tuck and Hillary Tuck.
Sources: Information about Randy’s possible Choctaw Native American ancestry – http://objgenealogy.com
Genealogies of Randy Quaid – https://www.wikitree.com https://www.geni.com
Genealogy of Randy Quaid (focusing on his father’s side) – http://objgenealogy.com
Genealogy of Randy’s father (focusing on his own father’s side) – http://www.findagrave.com
Randy’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Randy’s paternal great-grandfather, John Thomas Quaid, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Randy’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Benjamin Walter Quaid and Martha Elizabeth Bell, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org Benjamin Walter Quaid and Martha Elizabeth Bell on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Randy’s paternal great-great-great-grandmother, Emily Ann Meese (Moore) Quaid, on the 1870 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Randy’s paternal great-great-great-great-grandparents, Silas Ebenezer Moore and Mourning Dumas Folsom, on the 1850 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Randy’s mother on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy, and obituary, of Randy’s maternal grandmother, Ollie Lula (French) Jordan – http://www.findagrave.com
Randy’s maternal grandmother, Ollie Lula French, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org