Dennis Quaid Opens Up About Outliving His Dad Who Died at 63: 'He's Here in My Heart'

Dennis Quaid is opening up about losing his father. 

The actor, 70, appeared on the Aug. 21 episode of the 3rd Hour of Today in an interview with Al Roker, where he reflected on his late father William R. “Buddy” Quaid, who died at age 63. 

Speaking about his current stage in life, Quaid noted the importance of goal-setting at "the beginning of every decade." He said, "Just, you know, 'Let this go and let that go,' because there’s nothing to be done about it."

Quaid has an impressive list of roles, which includes his early performances in The Parent Trap, The Rookie and The Day After Tomorrow. When asked if he was able to "appreciate" his past successes in real time, he said, "I was so in the middle of it and on my way to somewhere, that it was really hard to appreciate."

He continued, "If anything I would tell myself back then, ‘Hey, take it easy,” noting that there was a "dark side" to fame. 

Roker asked him to elaborate, to which he said, "Well, I wound up in rehab."

Continuing to guide Quaid down memory lane, the host asked, "When you look back at your 20s, what did you think 70 would be like?"

The question elicited an emotional response from the actor, who shared that his father died before he was 70, so he did not "have an example" of life at that age. 

"I turned 63 and I woke up in the middle of the night about six months after and it just hit me. So I counted the days from my dad’s birthday to the time he died, and from my birthday to when I woke up. It was the same number of days," Quaid said. "In that night I was older than my dad had been. I still feel like he’s here in my heart and stuff, like that, but it’s… you become… it’s hard to explain." 

Roker related to the experience, telling him, "Here’s the thing: my dad passed when he was 69. I always felt bad that he didn’t make 70. It’s a very strange feeling to get past the point that your father did."

During the talk show appearance, Quaid also spoke about his recent music career, as he released his gospel album Fallen: A Gospel Record For Sinners in 2023.

He talked about what excites him about making music, saying, "It’s a celebration of life, you know? It’s also prayer. It’s just, joy. I kind of figure at this part of life, I’m not reaching for anything as I was in say my 20s and 30s."

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Quaid is a father of three, including actor Jack Quaid, whom he shares with his second wife, Meg Ryan. He also welcomed a set of twins, Thomas and Zoe, with his third wife Kimberly Buffington.

In a 2023 interview with PEOPLE, the actor said he takes a "dorky" approach to fatherhood. "I kind of feel like a dorky dad a lot because...especially my daughter makes me feel that way," he said. "Very uncomfortable, awkward. Awkward. Teenagers are awkward."

But overall, he said of the experience, "I love being a dad. I really do. I think I'm a good dad. It turned out so far so good. Jack really turned out well. I'm really proud of him, and Thomas and Zoe too."