Following the January 2024 popularity of The Hill on Netflix, star actor Dennis Quaid has appeared in a surprising number of titles in 2023 alone. Quaid, best known for his leading roles in classic films such as The Rookie (2002), The Parent Trap (1998), and Far From Heaven (2002), stars as the real-life father of Rickey Hill, a former professional baseball player with an incredible true story. The Hill was released in theaters in August 2023 but has generated new interest on Netflix, quickly rising to the number one spot on the Top Movies List in the United States.
Quaid has been a professional actor for nearly 50 years, landing his first major part in the 1977 psychological drama I Never Promised You a Rose Garden in which he ironically played a baseball pitcher. Throughout the course of his illustrious career, Quaid has played military personnel, Old West outlaws and lawmen, and has even portrayed two United States Presidents, Bill Clinton in the TV movie The Special Relationship (2010) and Ronald Reagan in the 2023 film Reagan, which is currently unreleased.
The Hill Director On Working With Dennis Quaid & Honoring Rickey Hill’s Story
The Hill director Jeff Celentano discusses how he got involved with the project, collaborating with Dennis Quaid, and finding the perfect young actor.
Dennis Quaid Acted In 7 Movies & TV Shows In 2023 (His Most Ever For One Year)
At the age of 69, Dennis Quaid starred in five movies and two TV shows over the course of 2023, marking the busiest year as an actor in his nearly 50-year career. Quaid’s 2023 film credits include The Long Game, On a Wing and a Prayer, Strays, The Hill, and Reagan, while his 2023 TV credits are two miniseries, Full Circle and Lawmen: Bass Reeves. This beats Quaid’s previous record of making six films and TV shows in 2012, which include the titles Beneath the Darkness, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, The Words, Playing for Keeps, At Any Price, and Vegas.
Quaid’s impressive 2023 streak is made possible by Reagan, which is still in post-production but completed filming in 2023. The Ronald Reagan biopic is directed by On a Wing and a Prayer director Sean McNamara but faced production delays due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. Reagan currently has no announced release date as of January 2024, but could offer one of Quaid’s best performances of his career playing the former President. Reagan also has Jon Voight and Kevin Dillon attached to star the in movie.
Dennis Quaid’s Netflix Hit Is A Reminder To Watch His Other True Story Baseball Movie From 2002
The success of Netflix’s The Hill is a great reminder to watch (or rewatch) another Dennis Quaid-led baseball flick that premiered 20 years ago.
Most Of Dennis Quaid’s 2023 Roles Saw Him Play Real-Life People
Dennis Quaid mostly played a real-life person in his 2023 movies and television series, including portraying himself in the Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx dog comedy Strays. Quaid starred as real-life golf pro Frank Mitchell in The Long Game and Pastor James Hill in The Hill. However, while the Paramount+ series Lawmen: Bass Reeves was based on the titular Deputy U.S. Marshal’s true story, Quaid’s character Sherrill Lynn was entirely fictional. 2024 also promises some exiting projects with Quaid’s involvement as he approaches five decades of acting.
The Hill
The Hill is a sports-drama biography about Rockey Hill, a baseball player who suffered from a degenerative disease but battles to overcome his condition to achieve his life-long dream of playing in the MLB. Despite protests from his family and community faith leaders, Rickey will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.
- Release Date
- August 25, 2023
- Director
- Jeff Celentano
- Cast
- Dennis Quaid , Colin Ford , Joelle Carter , Randy Houser , Jesse Berry , Bonnie Bedelia , Scott Glenn
- Runtime
- 126 Minutes
- Writers
- Angelo Pizzo , Scott Marshall Smith
- Story By
- Bill Chaffin, Stephen Hintz, Aric Hornig
- Studio(s)
- Vitamin A Films , Rescue Dog Productions , Piney Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Briarcliff Entertainment
