He is one of the so-called nepo babies, the children of the rich and famous in Hollywood who have managed to follow their A-list parents to careers in show business.
But Jack Quaid claims he didn’t realize how unusual his upbringing and family were growing up as the child of stars Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan.
That told the 31-year-old star of The Boys People this week his childhood felt relatively normal because so many of his friends came from the same background and also had parents who worked in the industry.
“I grew up with friends who also had industry parents, so it didn’t really feel any different,” he told the publication.
It wasn’t until he was older that he realized that even many of his friends didn’t have the same level of privilege as he had two parents who were both entangled in Hollywood.
Ignorant: Jack Quaid, 31, told People in his latest issue that he thought nothing of his privileged upbringing as the child of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan until he was older; seen in August 2022
Nothing out of the ordinary: Part of why everything seemed normal was because his friends also had famous parents. “I grew up with friends who also had industry parents, so it didn’t really feel any different,” he said; Dennis and Meg seen in 1999
“But then you grow up and realize that’s pretty unique, not one but that two your parents are actors,” he continued.
“You don’t realize until later that things are a bit abnormal.”
Born in Los Angeles, Jack attended K-12 prep school Crossroads, which since its inception in 1971 has become a popular institution for the children of Hollywood stars and other high-profile figures.
It counts among its alumni Judd Apatow’s Euphoria lead daughter Maude Apatow, Transformers director Michael Bay, Jack Black, Zooey and Emily Deschanel, Jonah Hill, Kate Hudson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Maya Rudolph and Liv Tyler, among many others.
He showed an early interest in film when he was president of the Bad Movies Club at Crossroads.
After graduation, he attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts for three years before dropping out to focus on his burgeoning career in film and television.
He had a promising start in the industry with his debut film role as Marvel in the 2012 blockbuster The Hunger Games, and briefly reappeared a year later in the sequel Catching Fire.
Rude Awakening: “But then you grow up and realize that’s pretty unique, that not one but two of your parents are actors,” he continued. “You don’t realize until later that things are a bit abnormal”; seen with mother Meg Ryan in 2011 in NYC
He continued to raise his profile in the industry with a supporting comedic role in Steven Soderbergh’s heist comedy Logan Lucky, starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough and Daniel Craig, who played his convicted older brother.
He rose to leading man status in 2019, starring as Pen15’s Maya Erskine in the romantic comedy Plus One, and he appeared in the ensemble of the 2022 sequel Scream.
He will be seen in one of his most high-profile projects to date as theoretical physicist Richard Feynman in Christopher Nolan’s historical biopic Oppenheimer.
Quaid also proved himself a good TV star starring in HBO’s Vinyl before landing another starring role in The Boys, and he also voices a character in the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks.
His parents’ marriage was the second for Dennis – who was previously married to Halloween actress PJ Soles – and the first and so far only for Meg.
The couple found love while working together on the 1990 neo-noir remake DOA.
They were married from 1991 until their divorce in 2001.
In addition to Jack, Meg has a daughter named Daisy True Ryan who she adopted in 2004, and Dennis has twins Thomas and Zoe, 15, who he shares with his third wife Kimberly Buffington.
Rising star: After his film debut in The Hunger Games (2012), he scored a starring role in the rom-com Plus One and had leading roles in Vinyl, The Boys and Star Trek: Lower Decks
Children from multiple unions: In addition to Jack, Meg has a daughter named Daisy True Ryan whom she adopted in 2004, and Dennis has twins Thomas and Zoe, 15, who he shares with his third wife Kimberly Buffington; pictured in 1998
He married his fourth wife, Laura Savoie, in 2020.
In January 2022, Jack told People that his parents were never a major source of advice when navigating Hollywood.
“They don’t really give me advice. I never asked them, ‘How am I supposed to do this scene?'” he said.
He also noted that their advice may not have helped much, as the way the industry works now is “so much different that it worked for them back then.”