For over three decades, Randy Quaid was a fixture in Hollywood, known for his versatility in both comedic and dramatic roles. From his early success in The Last Picture Show (1971) to his unforgettable portrayal of Cousin Eddie in National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise, Quaid had carved out a niche as a beloved character actor. His career highs included an Academy Award nomination for The Last Detail (1973) and a Primetime Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Lyndon B. Johnson in LBJ: The Early Years (1987). However, by the late 2000s, Quaid’s promising career had spiraled into controversy, legal troubles, and bizarre conspiracy theories, culminating in his self-imposed exile in Canada. In recent years, assisted by his wife Evi, he has taken part in a lewd act involving a Rupert Murdoch mask in videos on social media.
The Beginning of the End
Despite continued success into the 2000s, including roles in Brokeback Mountain (2005) and The Ice Harvest (2005), Quaid’s career took a sharp turn for the worse following a string of increasingly erratic legal and personal troubles. In 2006, he sued Focus Features, claiming that he was misled about Brokeback Mountain’s earnings and was owed an additional $10 million. The lawsuit was widely dismissed as frivolous and was eventually dropped. However, this marked the beginning of Quaid’s public battles with the industry.
His legal woes deepened in 2009 when he and his wife, Evi, were arrested for failing to pay a $10,000 hotel bill in Santa Barbara. Though he later settled the amount, the incident set off a series of legal entanglements that would ultimately lead the couple to flee the United States. In 2010, they were arrested again for squatting in a guesthouse of a property they had previously owned. The Quaids claimed they were the rightful owners, despite clear documentation proving otherwise. Their repeated failure to appear in court led to additional arrest warrants.
Adding to the bizarre nature of their case, when police entered the house, they found extensive damage, including a broken mirror that had been replaced with a photograph of the couple. Evi reportedly engaged in verbal outbursts, leading to additional legal complications. They began making increasingly wild claims, asserting that Hollywood executives, including Rupert Murdoch and Warner Brothers executives, were conspiring against them.
The ‘Star Whackers’ Conspiracy
Rather than face their legal troubles, the Quaids fled to Canada in 2010, claiming they were being targeted by a shadowy Hollywood organization they called the ‘Star Whackers.’ According to them, this group was responsible for the deaths of celebrities such as Heath Ledger and David Carradine. They even went so far as to produce a so-called documentary, Star Whackers, which featured bizarre and incoherent footage of Quaid wandering nude in the wilderness, quoting Shakespeare, and engaging in inexplicable behavior.
In addition to their conspiracy theories, they released multiple disturbing videos, including one in which Randy appeared to simulate a sex act with Evi wearing a Rupert Murdoch mask. The video is notably unsettling. Evi is sitting on a sofa in her underwear and sunglasses in the background while Randy is rambling on. Then he places a paper cutout of Murdoch on her and goes behind her to simulate a sexual act. It is truly weird. One Reddit user simply posted, “This is enough internet for me” after seeing the video.
The couple also alleged that they were being financially sabotaged, making claims that their Hollywood earnings had been stolen by lawyers, accountants, and agents working in tandem to ruin their lives.
The Canadian government, however, did not buy their claims. Quaid’s repeated attempts to gain citizenship were denied, and in 2015, the couple was forced to return to the United States, where they were arrested in Vermont. However, a judge dismissed their extradition to California, allowing them to walk free once again.
A Career in Shambles
Quaid’s Hollywood exile was largely self-inflicted. His erratic behavior, combined with his increasingly outlandish claims, made him unemployable in the industry. While many actors have staged comebacks after personal and professional setbacks, Quaid’s refusal to take accountability for his actions—and his insistence on blaming an imaginary Hollywood cabal—ensured his continued alienation.
His public persona has since been dominated by far-right conspiracy theories. An outspoken supporter of Donald Trump, Quaid has become known for his unhinged social media videos, often filmed in extreme close-ups with flashing lights and exaggerated voices. He continues to push election fraud conspiracies, aligning himself with other blacklisted actors like James Woods and Gina Carano. His videos frequently feature him shouting in fake British accents, ranting against Hollywood, and making ominous warnings about the downfall of America.
In November 2024, Donald Trump started to retweet Randy Quaid’s old bizarre tweets. Quaid’s first video that Trump retweeted was originally posted more than a year ago on October 12, 2019. In it, the actor speaks directly to the camera, blasting the silencing of conservative voices, the pharmaceutical and technological industries, and the downfall of America. Trump retweeted several others, where Randy appears talking close-up to the camera while crazy red and green strobe lights flash in the background. Donald Trump was roundly mocked on social media as users said they would rather not have Cousin Eddie dictating how U.S. elections work.
Can Randy Quaid Ever Return to Hollywood?
While Hollywood has been known to forgive past transgressions, Quaid’s case is unique. His combination of legal troubles, erratic public behavior, and outlandish conspiracy theories has made him a liability. The industry may tolerate controversy, but it does not tolerate unpredictability of this magnitude.
In 2018, he performed in All You Can Eat, a low-budget film that failed to reignite his career. The movie, also known as Weight, has a rating of 5.7 from only 124 users on IMDb at the moment. In 2024, he performed in The Christmas Letter, another low-budget movie starring Chevy Chase. The movie has only a 4.1 rating on IMDb from 172 users.
Beyond his Hollywood woes, Quaid briefly teased a run for Governor of California in 2021 during Gavin Newsom’s recall election but never formally entered the race. Even if he had, his outstanding felony charges in California meant he could have been arrested the moment he set foot in the state.
The story of Quaid is a sad one, where you can only question if he is at all connected to the real world. Randy’s complicated past with the law has driven a wedge between him and his siblings. In the last decade, his brother Dennis Quaid has refrained from speaking about his older brother publicly. However, Dennis briefly opened up on the PBD Podcast in 2024 about his complicated relationship with Randy, whom he believes should return to acting. “Randy doesn’t like me to talk about what’s going on with him. All I can say is that I really love my brother, and I miss my brother,” Dennis said during the episode.
Sources:
- Slashfilm
- The Week
- Looper
- The Hollywood Reporter
- Vanity Fair
- The Independent
Also read The Downfall of Chevy Chase.
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