Dennis Quaid Has Embraced His Creep Era

The Substance was one of my favorite films of last year. It is a confidently crafted piece of cinema that takes the word “bonkers” to the next level. The body horror on display is grotesque, intense, and builds throughout until it reaches a tipping point which results in a literal showering of blood and viscera. Still, despite all the gory imagery on display, if you ask someone what they found the sickest part of the film to be, they may tell you that it was Dennis Quaid messily eating shrimp while he tells Demi Moore that her career has come to an end because she’s too old.

The scene is wildly effective and disturbing. Still, would it have been as impactful had a different actor been in the role? That was originally the case, as director Coralie Fargeat had chosen Ray Liotta to play Quaid’s part. Unfortunately, Liotta passed away before filming. So, Fargeat chose Quaid as a replacement, and it feels like a better choice. Ray Liotta possessed a likeability, present even in his most despicable characters. Quaid, coming off of playing Ronald Reagan and stumping for Donald Trump, brings much more sinister energy.

I’m often not hip to past controversies that surround certain celebrities. I tried to take a glance at Quaid’s past before writing this up, and saw that he had cocaine issues and cheated on Meg Ryan. I won’t fault someone for addiction issues, but cheating on Sally definitely lowers his likeability in my book. But, I didn’t know any of that when I watched The Substance. I knew about the bad Reagan movie and him saying that Trump was “[his] a**hole” and that was enough to make the shrimp eating even worse. But someone else possibly noticed that Quaid fits well into creepy roles, and that person is Dennis Quaid.

A trailer dropped for a new show called Happy Face. Based on a true story, it’s about a TV makeup artist whose father is a notorious serial killer. She is dragged into his world when he claims she’s the only one he will speak to about a new murder victim. It looks tense and fun and stars Analeigh Ashford as the conflicted daughter. Still, it’s Quaid as the creepy killer that shows he’s fully embraced how creepy he can be, which is bolstered not just by his embrace of hateful conservatives but his role in The Substance.

Quaid must realize how creepy he comes across. If he had seen even the dailies from The Substance it could have motivated him to continue seeking unsettling roles. Will there be more in the future? My guess is we’ll have to wait and see if Happy Face is successful. If it is, we’ll probably see Quaid continue to lean into his creep era. While I don’t care for Quaid as a person, I will continue to watch him give me the ick, the heeby jibbies, and the screaming meemies.