Dennis Quaid has been in Hollywood for more than 50 years, with some of his most notable roles being in 1982’s “The Right Stuff” and, more recently, 2024’s “The Substance.” Recently, the screen legend opened up about why he enjoys acting far more than he did in his younger years. This comes as the documentary he’s narrating, “Water Wars,” is set to premiere in September.
Quaid spoke to PEOPLE in September 2026, not only to discuss “Water Wars,” but also to offer rare comments about his legendary career and how his approach to acting has changed in the decades since he started. According to him, “I have more enthusiasm for what I do now than I did back in my 20s.”
The “Reagan” actor then explained, saying, “Because I felt like I was always trying to get somewhere back then in life.” Notably, Quaid began his career after relocating to Los Angeles from Texas in 1974. He landed several small roles before his big break in 1979’s “Breaking Away.”
Regarding his career today and how he chooses to take on roles, the Hollywood icon stated, “And now, I just do it because it’s an interest, or that would be a lot of fun to do. Or, ‘Why not?’ It’s doing things that really interest me. I’m lucky to be able to do that.”
Quaid’s New View On His Career Led Him To ‘Water Wars’
Quaid continued his interview by discussing how his approach to selecting roles led him to narrate “Water Wars,” which delves into a legal battle over water rights in Texas. Notably, he said it was the people behind the documentary, director Mario Mattei and producers John Michael Simpson and Phillip Guitar.
He said, “Those guys told a really great story. They sent me the documentary with a scratch narration on it, and I was really impressed, especially to make a story like that really understandable to [everyone]. I got very caught up in it just watching it, so I wanted to do it.”
The ‘Right Stuff’ Star Previously Opened Up About His Process For Selecting Roles
Quaid interviewed with Parade in 2024. At that time, he was promoting “The Long Game,” which was released to theaters in April of that year. During the conversation, he was asked how much his process for deciding which roles to take on had evolved over the years.
He responded, “Not very much, really. It’s still the same thing.” Quaid went on to explain, saying, “When I get a script, I read it from [the] point of view that I’m an audience member, a first-time audience member. And so I read the script like that, and it’s mostly about the story.”
The screen legend added, “Does it really pull my attention? And I’ll know by page 30 whether it’s gonna do that or not.”
The Actor Also Says The Upcoming Documentary Felt Personal To Him
As mentioned, Quaid hails from Texas, which added a layer of significance to the story told in ‘Water Wars.” He told PEOPLE, “It felt very familiar to me. Not just being in Texas, really more so I had a place in Montana for 30 years, right up against the National Forest.”
He discussed how his time in Montana gave him insight into the importance of water rights. Quaid shared, “Where I lived used to be part of Yellowstone Park in the 1890s. Then they opened that up to ranch land. And when they did, of course, the first thing, the most valuable thing, to acquire is water rights for it.”
The actor added, “Water is a thing you just got to have. It really reminded me that it’s so basic for survival. [Without] water, that land is worthless.”
Taking his commentary back to the documentary, he said, “It also got those elements of David and Goliath to it and Hatfields and McCoys. There’s all kinds of things that are kind of put in there that it’s almost biblical in that sense.”
The Legendary Actor Has Multiple Projects Releasing Soon
In additon to “Water Wars” being released on September 4 on Prime Video, Quaid has several projects on the horizon. First, he’s starring in action thriller “The Florist,” which will arrive in movie theaters on October 2. Additionally, he has a Netflix holiday movie coming out this year, “A Dog’s Perfect Christmas,” in which he stars with Milo Ventimiglia and Jennifer Tilly.
Quaid will also appear in AMC’s upcoming NASCAR series, “The Wrecking Ball.”
