Dennis Quaid and Rick Harrison are two famous celebrities who have appeared on the screen together. Quaid is an actor who has played several U.S. presidents, while Harrison is a businessman and reality TV star who owns the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop featured on Pawn Stars. But are they related by blood or marriage? The answer may surprise you.
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The Quaid Family Tree
Dennis Quaid was born on April 9, 1954, in Houston, Texas, to Juanita Bonnie Dale “Nita” Quaid and William Rudy Quaid, an electrician. He has English, Irish, Scots-Irish, and Cajun ancestry. He is the younger brother of actor Randy Quaid, who is known for his roles in films such as National Lampoon’s Vacation and Independence Day. According to Wikipedia, Dennis Quaid has indicated that he does not give much credence to the idea that he is related to U.S. President William Henry Harrison, although his father stated that the family is distantly related to Benjamin Harrison, a grandson of William Henry Harrison.
Dennis Quaid has been married four times and has three children. He met his first wife, actress P.J. Soles, on the set of the film Our Winning Season. They were married in 1978 and divorced in 1983. On February 14, 1991, he married actress Meg Ryan, with whom he had a son, Jack Henry Quaid, who is also an actor. They divorced in 2001. In 2004, he married Kimberly Buffington, a real estate agent, and they had twins, Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace, who were born via a surrogate mother. They divorced in 2018. In 2020, he married Laura Savoie, a PhD student.
The Harrison Family Tree
Rick Harrison was born on March 22, 1965, in Lexington, North Carolina, to Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr., a U.S. Navy veteran, and Joanne Rhue Harrison. He has German and Irish ancestry. He is the younger brother of Sherry Joanne Harrison (who died at age 6), Joseph Kent Harrison, and Chris Harrison. According to Wikipedia, Rick Harrison was diagnosed with epilepsy at age eight and spent much of his time in bed reading books.
Rick Harrison has been married four times and has three children. He married his first wife, Kim Harrison, when he was 17 years old and she was pregnant with their first child, Corey Harrison, who is also a co-owner of the pawn shop and a star of Pawn Stars. They had another son, Adam Harrison, before they separated. In 1986, he married his second wife, Tracy Harrison, with whom he had a son, Jake Harrison. They divorced in 2011. In 2013, he married his third wife, Deanna Burditt, a legal worker. They divorced in 2020. In 2021, he married his fourth wife, Amanda Palmer.
The Connection Between Dennis Quaid and Rick Harrison
So far, there is no evidence that Dennis Quaid and Rick Harrison are related by blood or marriage. They do not share any common ancestors or relatives that we know of. However, they do share a common interest in history and presidential memorabilia.
In December 2020, Dennis Quaid filmed an appearance for Pawn Stars at the Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. He was there to buy a rare item that belonged to Ronald Reagan from Rick Harrison. Quaid was preparing for his role as Reagan in the upcoming biopic Reagan. According to The Blast, Quaid perused several items that belonged to Reagan but one in particular caught his attention. He reportedly spent thousands of dollars to buy it after negotiating with Harrison.
The item that Quaid bought and the exact amount that he paid for it are being kept secret until the episode of Pawn Stars airs sometime in 2021. However, according to Rick Harrison’s Gold & Silver Pawn Shop’s Facebook page, some of the items that Quaid did not buy were still available as of December 4th 2020.
Conclusion
Dennis Quaid and Rick Harrison are not related by blood or marriage but they do have a mutual admiration for each other and for history. They met on the set of Pawn Stars where Quaid bought a piece of Reagan’s history from Harrison. They both have fascinating family trees and stories that make them unique and interesting celebrities.
