Jack Quaid & Ray Nicholson’s Friendship Bringing Dad Jack Out of Hiding: ‘This Really Thrilled Him’

Ray Nicholson and Jack Quaid got along great while filming their latest movie together and a source exclusively tells Closer their relationship extends beyond just costars and includes hangouts with their A-list dads, Jack Nicholson and Dennis Quaid.

“It’s not talked about a lot, but Jack’s dad Dennis actually named him after Jack Nicholson, because he idolized him back in the day,” the insider says. “So, to have their two sons now be working together and hanging out is such a full circle moment.” 

For Dennis, 71, screen legend Jack, 88, shaped how he sees cinema through his groundbreaking performances in iconic films like Chinatown, The Shining and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He’s been open in his admiration, revealing to E! News that his and Meg Ryan’s 33-year-old son bears his idol’s name out of respect and that it was actually his older brother, Randy Quaid, that put him up to the idea.

“I just got to L.A. and my brother got a part in a movie called Missouri Breaks,” The Day After Tomorrow actor recalled. “So I drove my brother’s car up to Montana. My very first movie set, I’m watching these actors, my real heroes. We hung out at Jack Nicholson’s house every night. He and Randy were good friends.”

“They gave me a lot of encouragement,” he added. “And that’s a true story that we named him Jack after that.”

The source notes that growing up the kids of mega-famous actors in Hollywood gave the young actors, who are the same age, common ground. It’s unsurprising they eventually developed a friendship, especially after working on Novocaine, which recently premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March. The film marked a serious career breakout for Ray, who had appeared in over 20 movies beforehand, but mostly in bit parts.

“Ray and Jack both have great relationships with their dads so it didn’t take long for them to hit on the idea of doing a father son dinner,” the insider explains. 

“Jack doesn’t like to go out much, so he hosted,” the source continues. “They all had a ball. It was fun for Dennis and Jack to reminisce about the good old days together and Ray was really happy to see his dad being social and having fun.” 

Ray has discussed how much of an inspiration his dad’s career has been on his own. He Deadline in October 2024 “[Jack’s] my inspiration. I ate dinner with him every night. I studied it, that’s how I learned to be a human being. So, of course we’re gonna be kind of similar.”

The source adds that even though, “in his old age Jack has turned into a bit of a hermit,” Ray has really stepped up to care for him, which includes organizing dinners with their friends the Quaids. “This really thrilled him and now they’re talking about doing it more often, maybe even once a week since Ray and Jack are such close friends now.”