Randy Quaid - Definition and Overview

Randy Quaid (born October 1, 1950) is an actor and the elder brother of fellow actor Dennis Quaid. In a career that spans over thirty years, he has appeared in over ninety movies. He was discovered by Peter Bogdanovich while a student at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas, and got his first exposure (in more ways than one) in The Last Picture Show, when escorting Jacy Farrow (played by Cybill Shepherd) to late-night indoor skinny dipping at a swimming pool. It was the first of several roles he has had which were directed by Bogdanovich and/or based on the writings of Larry McMurtry.

Randy has appeared in several of the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in The Last Detail (1973), won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Presidenty Lyndon Johnson in LBJ: The Early Years (1987), and was featured (with Margaret Colin) in two science fiction movies, the unsuccessful Martians Go Home and very successful Independence Day.

His television appearances include a season as an SNL cast member (1985-1986), the role of real-life gunslinger John Wesley Hardin in the mini-series Streets of Laredo, and a starring role in the awkwardly-titled The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire (2003).

He also provided the voice of an animated Colonel Sanders character in a series of commercials for fried chicken restaurant chain KFC.