Emmy-nominated actor Dennis Quaid spoke about taking on the role of President Ronald Regan in “Reagan.”
The film will be released in theaters on August 30th, 2024. Quaid stars opposite Penelope Ann Miller, who plays his onscreen wife Nancy Reagan.
The synopsis is: From dusty small-town roots, to the glitter of Hollywood, and then on to commanding the world stage, “Reagan” is a cinematic journey of overcoming the odds.
Told through the voice of Viktor Petrovich (Oscar winner Jon Voight), a former KGB agent who followed Reagan’s ascent, “Reagan” captures the indomitable spirit of the American dream.
“It was a daunting task,” Quaid admitted. “What I love about this movie is that at its core it’s a love story. It showcases his life from five years old in Dixon, Illinois, to when he said goodbye to the American people when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.”
“The relationship that Nancy and Ron had was very rare, and something you won’t find in this world. That had a lot to do why he was so successful,” Quaid said.
On the lessons learned from this screenplay and role, Quaid said, “Ronald Reagan lived his life by and governed by principles. He was a Democrat for 40 years, which was longer than he was a Republican. It was those principles that he lived his life by, and he also got outside the box of those at times but were still there as his touchstone.”
“I have those in my own life, that I too forget, at times,” Quaid admitted. “Thanks to the screenplay, I relearned those principles.”
Quaid praised actress Mena Suvari for being “fantastic” as Jane Wyman in this film. “That was a very tough role to take on. That’s another thing I learned… I tried to play Reagan from his point of view. Real people!”
“Reagan and I were both actors,” Quaid said. “I don’t think he ever got where he wanted to as an actor.”
“I think it was what he aspired to be, and it was a hard time for him, especially when his career was really going down while Jane Wyman’s career was ascending. I had that; I was married to Meg Ryan, so I knew what that was like. Jane Wyman even won an Academy Award,” he elaborated.
“Then, Reagan became the President of the Screen Actors Guild around that time,” Quaid said. “That just proves that when God closes a door, he opens a window, and he met his wife Nancy because of that.”
“Also, president of Screen Actors Guild is not a job that an actor aspires to be, but it was the beginning of Reagan’s political career,” Quaid added.
Quaid concluded, “Ronald and Nancy had an incredible relationship, and that brought out their best selves, and that is what they did with each other.”
To learn more about veteran actor Dennis Quaid, follow him on Instagram.
