Dennis Quaid says 'Reagan' is his new favorite of his movies. Oklahoma is one reason why

For four decades and counting, Dennis Quaid regarded the 1983 historical space epic "The Right Stuff " as his favorite movie of his prolific acting career.

But the two-time Golden Globe nominee now has a new favorite among his cinematic credits — and he credits the time he spent in Oklahoma making it as part of the reason the presidential biopic "Reagan" now leads his list.

"I judge my films based on the time that I had while I was making them, and 'Reagan' has now taken the top spot in that — and a lot of that does have to do with Oklahoma and the time that we had here. It's a very special film for me," Quaid said Wednesday, Aug. 28, during the Sooner State premiere for the new movie .

Filmed primarily in Guthrie, the biographical drama about America's 40th president opens Friday, Aug. 30, in theaters nationwide.

Along with Quaid, Gov. Kevin Stitt , director Sean McNamara and several Oklahoma actors, legislators and film industry representatives walked the red carpet at Edmond's Hilton Garden Inn before attending the first Sooner State screenings of the movie at the nearby ShowBiz Cinemas Edmond .

"I've been a part of about five movies here, and, really, it's been a combination of locations, crew and the tax incentive and being able to have all those together," said line producer John Sullivan. "Part of what people don't understand about when you make a movie is how collaborative it is. Oklahoma has a burgeoning music scene. It's got great artistic people that are working in costume and production design. ... And we really did try to focus on having local talent work on the movie with us."

What keeps Dennis Quaid coming back to Oklahoma to make movies?

Co-starring Oscar winner Jon Voight and Golden Globe nominee Penelope Ann Miller , the biopic of the late U.S. President Ronald Reagan began filming in the Oklahoma City and Guthrie areas in September 2020. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oklahoma was one of the few states where movies like "Reagan" could film.

"They reached out to me, and California was shut down. They wouldn't let them film there. And so, I talked to the director, and I said, 'Hey, we're open for business.' And so they came," Stitt told The Oklahoman on the red carpet.

With "Reagan," Quaid has made three movies in Oklahoma in recent years: The Texas native played Arthur Millard, the abusive father of Bart Millard, the frontman of Grammy-nominated contemporary Christian band MercyMe , in the 2018 drama "I Can Only Imagine" and portrayed iconic football coach Dick Vermeil in 2021's "American Underdog," a biopic of football great Kurt Warner.

"The thing I remember the most is just the people," Quaid told The Oklahoman of filming in the Sooner State. "It's located in the center of the country ... and it's got great crews. The towns — the little towns, the big towns — roll out the red carpet and make things easy to work here."

Along with bringing him back to the north side of the Red River, Quaid said starring in "Reagan" gave him the chance to portray his favorite U.S. president.

"I voted for him twice. First time I voted for him, I went home, and my roommate said, 'Who did you vote for?' I said, 'Reagan.' He said, 'You are kicked out of the hippies,'" Quaid recalled on the red carpet.

"I like to say that this movie is also about all of us. It goes through eight decades of the American 20th century. And if you were born before 1985, you get a chance to remember how great this country used to be, and if you're born after '85, you get a glimpse of how great this country still can be."

How does the new Oklahoma-made movie tell Ronald Reagan's life story?

Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the new biopic follows Ronald Reagan's life from his childhood in Dixon, Illinois, to his acting career in Hollywood , to the U.S. presidency and the world stage. Reagan served two terms as president, from 1981 to 1989, and died on June 5, 2004 , after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

"There wouldn't have been a President Reagan without Nancy Reagan (played by Miller), and that's not because of any kind of involvement on her part in policy or anything like that. It's just the strength of their marriage and partnership, it was incredible. At the core of this movie, it is a love story between he and Nancy," Quaid said.

In the biopic, Quaid, 70, not only portrays Reagan the politician but also Reagan the fellow actor.

"You never get away from yourself when you're playing a role, and neither did Reagan. ... Reagan even said the best role he ever had was president of the United States. In a way that really qualifies you for that job," said Quaid, who was nominated for a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy for portraying President Bill Clinton in 2010 telefim "The Special Relationship."

"I really liked when he was governor of California: He was in his 50s. He had that John Wayne walk. He was like the new sheriff in town wherever he went. That was Reagan to me."

The longtime actor, who has earned about 120 film and television credits since the mid-1970s, said the response to the new biopic has been overwhelming leading up to its long-awaited theatrical release.

"I've never had a film with this kind of buildup. At airports or the grocery store or getting gas or whatever, people come up to me that know about it, and they all seem to have an emotional connection to Reagan. I think all of us did," Quaid said.

"Especially for Baby Boomers like me, Reagan was like our dad, and that was for better or for worse. He was either the good dad and the dad that you really admired and wanted to be like, or he was the dad that you rebelled against ... but still was family."

In this era of divisive politics , Quaid said he hopes that the movie's portrayal of the friendship between Reagan, the formidable Republican president of the 1980s, and Thomas "Tip" O'Neill, the powerful Democratic Speaker of the House of that time, will inspire viewers. "The Wonder Years" actor Dan Lauria plays O'Neill in the film.

"They agreed that they were going to be political enemies — staunch political enemies — during the day, but then after 6 o'clock, they were going to be two Irishmen having a beer. And together, they really did get a lot done," Quaid. said.

"To me, the movie is not political. It's not ideological in any sense. It's American."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Dennis Quaid says 'Reagan' is his new favorite of his movies. Oklahoma is one reason why