How Jack Quaid became 'this generation's Tom Hanks'
There are two types of transcendent leading performers: Those you love to observe and those you can't help but feel for. And in the contemporary landscape, the latter has become the hardest to find. 'There's a real hole in the marketplace of actors,' says Robert Olsen, co-director of Novocaine. 'If you're looking at the next generation, Glen Powell fills the Tom Cruise slot, Timothee Chalamet is the next Leonardo DiCaprio, but where's the Tom Hanks? Where's the everyman?' And without an everyman, a lot of movies just won't work. Tom Hanks is needed for a role like Castaway, just as Jimmy Stewart was for a role like It's A Wonderful Life. For Novocaine, an action comedy about a man impervious to pain, Olsen and his co-director Dan Berk needed to find their own. 'At the time, we were watching the series The Boys, and we just started writing the character in Jack Quaid's voice, never even thinking we were going to be able to actually get him for the movie,' says Beck. 'We really do think he's this generation's Tom Hanks. He's funny, but you wouldn't call him a comedian. He's handsome, but not intimidatingly so like Brad Pitt. And everyone – man, woman, young and old – is charmed by him,' says Olsen. To say that Jack Quaid was made in a lab to be the perfect everyman would only be a slight exaggeration. After all, he's the son of actors Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid. Quaid became aware of his everyman qualities on the set of The Boys, playing a normal guy caught up in a world of superheroes and assassins. The show, which began as satirical counter-programming to the glut of Marvel and DC fare, has become a cultural juggernaut, with season four garnering 55 million viewers in its debut month last July – setting Quaid on a path to becoming a household name. 'I don't think you can train to be an everyman. I can't go to the tape and learn how to do it. It's just a quality you have and I'm lucky to have it. Some people find out they're going to play jerks for the rest of their life – and I also do that, come to think of it – but I'm glad I can do this as well,' he says. Quaid has been in the industry for more than a decade, getting his start on the first Hunger Games movie in 2012, but now that his leading man moment is finally here, he's not exactly sure how to play it. 'It's very hard for me to take a compliment,' Quaid admits. But as hard as it is for him to admit to himself how well everything's going, it's undeniable at this point. Novocaine, which releases on March 27 in the UAE, just topped box offices in the US with strong reviews, only weeks after his sci-fi thriller Companion found success critically and commercially. And stars are joining his projects just because he's on board. 'To be honest, the thing that drew me to this was working with Jack. I love everything he does. I've been waiting to work with him for literally years – his name is why I said yes,' says Novocaine co-star Amber Midthunder. Quaid thought he'd end up doing comedy – he got his start in sketch and improv – but being an action star is new to him. And as much as he excelled in it – he's not sure if that is his true path. 'I had to get in the best shape of my life for this movie,' he says. 'That's all gone now. It's out the window. I went back to candy immediately after it wrapped. They said 'cut' and I said 'hand me some Sour Patch Kids'.' And while he's now more adept at stunts after pushing himself further than before, he's having trouble unlearning the most challenging aspect of his Novocaine role – playing a man who can't feel pain. 'It's completely ruined me for every other fight scene I'm doing,' says Quaid. I'm shooting The Boys now, and I had one scene the other day where I got punched in the face, and I had to remind myself to show pain. It's too in me, now.' Quaid hasn't mapped out the kind of career he wants for himself – 'the world is too chaotic for that,' he says – but he does know that he's not going to take any shortcuts, trying to land roles with the biggest filmmakers or franchises in Hollywood. 'I love being on the ground floor with filmmakers like Dan and Bobby, or Drew Hancock who did Companion. I want to work with people who are coming up – to see them take off and work with them as they're doing it. I want to find incredible filmmakers at that stage and just keep those relationships going,' he says. There is one pet project he's dying to do, however, that doesn't fit this mould. He played the real-life scientist Richard Feynman in the Academy Award-winning Christopher Nolan film Oppenheimer (2023), and he still hasn't gotten the role out of his head. 'I'm trying to make it happen. This world is insane and Hollywood is weird, but I'm trying to figure it out. I just fell in love with the guy while researching him for Oppenheimer. It'll be the Oppenheimer cinematic universe – also known as the real world.' Novocaine will be released in cinemas across the Middle East on March 27
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Broadcast Pro
5 days ago
- Broadcast Pro
Sarah Goher's debut film ‘Happy Birthday' wins top awards at Tribeca Film Festival
The film stars Nelly Karim, Hanan Motawie, Hanan Youssef and Doha Ramadan. Egyptian filmmaker Sarah Goher's first feature, Happy Birthday, made a powerful impression at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, securing two of the event's top international prizes: Best International Narrative Feature and Best Screenplay. The film, which marks Goher's directorial debut, captivated both jurors and audiences with its storytelling and emotional depth. Set in Cairo, Happy Birthday tells the story of Toha, an eight-year-old girl who works as a domestic maid in a wealthy household. Tasked with organising a flawless birthday party for her employer's daughter, Nelly, Toha quietly yearns for a celebration of her own. The role is tenderly portrayed by newcomer Doha Ramadan, whose performance has been widely lauded for its restraint and emotional resonance. Co-written by Goher and acclaimed Egyptian director Mohamed Diab—known internationally for his work on Marvel's Moon Knight—the film was also executive produced by Diab. Producers Ahmed El Desouky, Ahmed Abbas, and Ahmed Badawy brought the project to life, with backing from Hollywood producers Jamie Foxx and Datari Turner, underscoring the growing global interest in regionally rooted narratives. Shot entirely in Arabic, the film immerses viewers in the textured reality of everyday life in Cairo. The cinematography by Seif El Din Khaled and the minimalist yet expressive editing by Ahmed Hafez contribute to the film's understated emotional power. Happy Birthday stood out at Tribeca for its humanist approach and visual poetry. Goher's directorial voice has been widely praised for its empathy and nuance, with The Knockturnal calling the film 'the emotional highlight of the festival.'
Web Release
11-06-2025
- Web Release
NVIDIA DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation now featured in Dragonkin: The Banished, Stellar Blade, and more games
This week, DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation is multiplying performance in Dragonkin: The Banished, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Mecha BREAK, MindsEye, REMATCH, Stellar Blade and Dune: Awakening. Each title also features DLSS Frame Generation, boosting frame rates for GeForce RTX 40 Series gamers, and DLSS Super Resolution, accelerating performance on every GeForce RTX GPU. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants DLC is launching September 4th, featuring full ray tracing and DLSS Ray Reconstruction. Developed by SHIFT UP, the critically acclaimed Stellar Blade arrives on PC on June 12, boasting day-one support for the complete suite of DLSS 4 technologies. By activating the suite of DLSS 4 technologies, performance at 4K max settings increases by an average of 3.4X on GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards. Enjoy frame rates up to 540 FPS on the GeForce RTX 5090, the world's fastest gaming GPU. Play over 300 FPS on the GeForce RTX 5080 and GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and get over 260 FPS on the GeForce RTX 5070. Stellar Blade is a highly performant action game that utilizes DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, DLSS Super Resolution, and NVIDIA Reflex. GeForce RTX 50 Series gamers can enjoy the definitive PC experience with unprecedented frame rates, low PC latency, and max quality graphics, perfect for fast-paced gameplay. The critically acclaimed adventures of Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle can be experienced on GeForce RTX PCs at their very best thanks to DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, DLSS Ray Reconstruction, DLSS Super Resolution, NVIDIA Reflex, DLAA, and immersive full ray tracing. Starting on September 4, Indy can explore the bustling city of Rome, the crumbling ruins of the Colosseum, and the pristine Vatican Gardens through a new adventure in the Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants DLC. On PC, NVIDIA's suite of DLSS and RTX technologies will further enhance the Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants DLC, giving GeForce RTX gamers the most detailed and performant experience possible. Featuring a stunningly rendered recreation of Arrakis, Funcom's much-anticipated Dune: Awakening allows players to immerse themselves in the rich and imaginative world created by Frank Herbert and brought to life by Denis Villeneuve and Legendary Entertainment's award-winning movies. The game is now available for all users. For an optimal experience, GeForce RTX gamers can download and install the Dune: Awakening driver . Out of the box, Dune: Awakening includes support for DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, DLSS Frame Generation, DLSS Super Resolution, and NVIDIA Reflex, which reduces PC latency by up to 50%. Through the NVIDIA app, DLSS Super Resolution can be upgraded to the enhanced transformer AI model for better image quality. DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation multiplies frame rates by an average of 4.9X at 4K, max settings. Peter Parker and Miles Morales return in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 , an exciting new adventure in the critically acclaimed Marvel's Spider-Man franchise. At launch, the PC release of this title featured support for DLSS Frame Generation, DLSS Super Resolution, DLSS Ray Reconstruction, DLAA, NVIDIA Reflex, and several ray-traced effects. An update has introduced support for DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation and DLSS Ray Reconstruction for GeForce RTX 50 Series gamers, multiplying frame rates by an average of 4.9X at 4K, with ray tracing and other settings maxed out. MindsEye is Build A Rocket Boy's AAA Action-Adventure Thriller featuring high-intensity combat, driving, and best-in-class cinematics from game director Leslie Benzies. Known for his innovation and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in gaming technology, MindsEye delivers a unique story and extremely high-quality experience to players. At launch, MindsEye will feature support for DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, DLSS Frame Generation, DLSS Super Resolution, DLAA, and NVIDIA Reflex, giving GeForce RTX gamers the best possible day-one experience. Via the NVIDIA app , GeForce RTX Series gamers can upgrade to DLSS Super Resolution with the newest transformer AI model, further enhancing image quality. Developed by Amazing Seasun Games, Mecha BREAK is a multiplayer mech third-person shooter game that allows players to choose from diverse mechs and battle colossal war machines on treacherous terrain. Mecha BREAK beta events have showcased support for DLSS Frame Generation and DLSS Super Resolution, accelerating performance for GeForce RTX gamers. Mecha BREAK officially launches on July 1 and will include day one support for DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, multiplying frame rates for GeForce RTX 50 Series gamers. Sloclap, creators of the critically acclaimed Sifu , is launching REMATCH on June 19. This 5v5 multiplayer football/soccer sports game sees players compete online in fast-paced, skill-based matches, free from offsides and fouls. The game officially launches with Advanced Access starting June 16 via the purchase of Pro and Elite editions. When players boot the game up, they can enable DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, DLSS Frame Generation, DLSS Super Resolution, and NVIDIA Reflex to accelerate the frame rates of each football match and speed up gameplay.
Khaleej Times
05-06-2025
- Khaleej Times
Billy Joel misses documentary premiere after revealing rare brain condition diagnosis
Singer-songwriter and pianist Billy Joel missed the premiere of his documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival days after cancelling all of his tour dates and revealing his rare brain condition diagnosis. Directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which premiered at the festival in New York, showcases the music icon's journey, never-before-seen archival footage, and candid interviews. Although he was not present at the Beacon Theatre, stars like Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Mariska Hargitay and her husband, actor Peter Hermann, attended it, People magazine reported. Last month, Joel announced the cancellation of all of his upcoming concerts following a recent diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus, a condition where excess cerebrospinal fluid builds up in the brain ventricles, the outlet said. According to a statement that was posted on his Instagram, his health condition has worsened from his recent performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance. As per his doctor's instructions, he is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been "advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period," according to People. Joel is "thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritising his health," the statement said. "He is grateful for the support from fans during this time and looks forward to the day when he can once again take the stage," it continued. In a statement, Joel said he was "sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience." Joel's wife Alexis shared an Instagram update on his condition and recovery. "Thank you for the outpouring of love and support," she wrote alongside a photo of her with Billy and their daughters. "We are so grateful for the wonderful care and swift diagnosis we received." "Bill is beloved by so many, and to us, he is a father and husband who is at the centre of our world," added Alexis. "We are hopeful for his recovery," she wrote. "We look forward to seeing you all in the future," reported People.
