Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid Weren't Eager for Son Jack to Pursue Acting: 'They Knew How Tough It Was for Them'

Mar. 15, 2025

Jack Quaid in Los Angeles on Aug. 2, 2022.Photo:Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

Jack Quaid’s movie-star mom and dadMeg RyanandDennis Quaidweren’t always on board with him following in their Hollywood footsteps.

In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporterpublished Friday, Dec. 27, the 32-year-old — who has two movies slated for release in early 2025,CompanionandNovocaine— said, “Withmy parents, I told them I wanted to be an actor and they understood what that meant.”

“They weren’t initially super psyched about it because they knew how tough it was for them, so they were like, ‘Oh jeez, of course we have another one,’ " Jack added. “But ultimately they understoodand were very supportive, so that I’m super grateful for.”

He went on to say that the “real reason” he wanted to get into acting had to do with a personal passion for it, explaining, “I don’t know how I would have survived mentally in the entertainment industry if I didn’t truly love what I did.”

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Meg Ryan and Jack Quaid in New York City on Dec. 25, 2017; Jack and Dennis Quaid in New York City on Oct. 7, 2015.James Devaney/Getty ; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

James Devaney/Getty ; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

“If I did this just to be a famous person or to have any kind of clout, I would have been done with this a long time ago. I had to find the love of this before I did it,” Jack said.

TheScreamactor noted of his connection to the profession through Ryan, 63, and Dennis, 70, “A lot of people would naturally assume that I wanted to do this because both my parents did it, and that didn’t playnopart.”

But “the biggest [career] benefit” he has from his mother and father, “among many,” Jack toldTHR, “is that they were proof it was possible to make a living as an actor.”

“I’ve been to drama school and talked with my friends there and most of them have the same story: They told their folks thatthey wanted to be an actorand their folks said, ‘I don’t think that that’s the right path for you,’ or, ‘Why don’t you have a backup plan?’ " he added.

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Jack Quaid in Los Angeles on Jan. 6, 2024.Stefanie Keenan/Getty

Stefanie Keenan/Getty

Jack went to Crossroads School in Santa Monica, Calif., a high school with alumni likeKate Hudson,Gwyneth PaltrowandJack Black. He later attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts for three years.

Growing up with Ryan and Dennis as parents, Jack spent a lot of time on film sets when he wasn’t watching movies and cartoons at home.

“I grew up with friends who also had parents in the industry, so it didn’t really feel different,” he told PEOPLE in 2023. “But then you grow up, and you realize that’s a pretty unique thing, that not one buttwoof your parents are actors. You don’t realizethat things are slightly abnormaluntil later.”

source: people.com