Dennis Quaid Joins Ben Shapiro On ‘Sunday Special,’ Reveals What Led Him To Accept Role Portraying President Reagan In New Film

In a candid “Sunday Special” interview with Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro, actor Dennis Quaid revealed what led him to accept the titular role in his newest movie “Reagan,” and discussed how Hollywood has “lost its relevancy with an audience.” 

“Reagan” hits theaters on August 30 and also stars Jon Voight as a fictional ex-KGB agent and Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan. Quaid told Shapiro that he was initially hesitant to take on the role of President Ronald Reagan, citing the former president’s iconic status and the challenge of portraying him authentically. 

“Reagan was my favorite president,” Quaid said. “I voted for Jimmy Carter in ’76. It was the first time I could vote, but then I voted for Reagan in ’80.”

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The actor revealed that visiting Reagan’s ranch was a turning point in his decision to accept the role, and emphasized the importance of capturing Reagan’s essence beyond mere impersonation. 

“Acting is about what makes people tick, you know, and you have the public persona, but you have to be able to get behind that as an actor in order to make someone come alive and not just make an impression,” he stated.

Regarding his approach to acting, Quaid emphasized the importance of research and character development. For his portrayal of Reagan, he said he had “a couple of years really before we even started filming” to prepare, allowing him to capture the nuances of Reagan’s speech and mannerisms across different periods of his life.

“One of the things that’s fascinating when you read biographies of Reagan is that pretty much everybody who knew him, maybe except for Nancy, talks about him having this sort of inner reserve, how he would you know, he would be in the room with you and obviously he would interact with you, but there was a part of him that he sort of kept behind a wall,” Shapiro said. “What do you think that was?”

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“That’s the thing between the impersonation and getting to the person about what makes them tick,” Quaid replied, adding, “And there was that thing of Reagan I heard from everyone that knew him, there’s this impenetrable space that he always had that, you know, this is the ‘Great Communicator,’ quite jovial of a person, but there was this place that you couldn’t get past as well, a very private place. And I think that was always there with him from childhood, really.” 

The film’s independent financing allowed for greater creative control over the story, Quaid said, adding that this approach enabled the filmmakers to present a more nuanced and potentially positive portrayal of Reagan than might have been possible through traditional Hollywood channels.

Reflecting on the current state of Hollywood, Quaid observed, “I think that Hollywood has sort of lost its relevancy with an audience to a certain extent.” Quaid told Shapiro that he sees potential in emerging film production centers outside of Los Angeles, such as Atlanta and Texas, as new hubs for creativity and talent.

Quaid expressed hope that the Reagan biopic would not only entertain but also educate younger audiences about an important period in American history. “For those who are like your age, you know, you get a glimpse into what this country used to be like. And for those like my age, you’re reminded what this country was and what it still can be,” he said.

The actor concluded by sharing his desire to see more diverse stories told in Hollywood, mentioning a potential project about Crazy Horse and the Lakota Sioux as an example of an untold narrative he’d like to bring to the screen.