Support for LAist comes from
Made of L.A.
Stay Connected

Share This

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

Arts and Entertainment

Video: Dennis Quaid Appears To Have An On-Set Meltdown

Support your source for local news!
The local news you read here every day is crafted for you, but right now, we need your help to keep it going. In these uncertain times, your support is even more important. Today, put a dollar value on the trustworthy reporting you rely on all year long. We can't hold those in power accountable and uplift voices from the community without your partnership. Thank you.

A video was released showing Dennis Quaid in meltdown mode on set, though no one's entirely sure whether some internet prankster, say Jimmy Kimmel, is behind the video. The video—shot in vertical mode which lends it an air of authenticity—was posted a few days ago, but it blew up when it was posted to Reddit.

We start in media res, and Quaid has already lost his cool because someone he affectionately refers to as "Dopey the Dick" shows up: "I am acting here, and this dickhead wanders onto my set. I can't even get a line out until Dopey the Dick starts whispering in your ear and you're not even watching any more."

A director tries to reason with him, but he's not having it: "Don't fucking 'Dennis' me! I am doing my job here! I am a pro! This is the most unprofessional set I have EVER been on! THIS is horseshit!" His last line has some odd references: "I’ve got these fucking zombies over here that I have to look at, I have a bunch of pussies staring at me, and this fucking baby!"

Support for LAist comes from

His tirade clocks in at just under 45 seconds—meaning it's not bad as Christian Bale's for-sure real-life infamous meltdown in 2009. No one knows what Quaid is supposed to be filming here but we can only hope it involves zombie cat babies. The Guardian points out that Quaid has enjoyed playing along with Ellen on a prank before.

UPDATE 1 p.m.: There's speculation that this is a PR stunt for Quaid's new scripted drama on Crackle called The Art of More. It's the first original drama series for Sony’s streaming service and it stars Quaid as a "charismatic real estate shark." TMZ notes he smirked when asked about the meltdown today, though Cackle denies having anything to do with it.

Most Read