Question: You're also in a movie called The Express.

Dennis Quaid: Yeah, I did that right after Horsemen.  Went right from that set to the haircut for that one.  And that was – that's the Bernie Davis story, basically.  He was the first black athlete to win the Heisman trophy, back in – it was '60, '61.

Question: USC?

Dennis Quaid: No, he was Syracuse.  Syracuse.  I play his coach, Schwartzwalder.  Legendary coach back then.  And – it's a sports movie, which is – you know, I like sports movies that are – the ones that work are really not about sports.  They're about something that transcends sports.  This movie is really – it's about – it has a lot to do about race, and about living – you know, grace.  Grace.  Living one's life gracefully.  Living and dying gracefully.

Question: Dennis, has the freedom of your career choice and how much work you're doing changed now that you're the father of two young babies?  And how is everything going?

Dennis Quaid: No, my career's – my choices really haven't changed.  It's not gonna change my choices at all.  It didn't with my last son, so.  [LAUGHTER] With my first change, it didn't change my choices.  But, you know, just been sleep-deprived.  I haven't worked since June.  So, took time off because we were – you know, we were pregnant.  And also I had just done four movies in a row and I wanted to take some time off.  So I haven't worked since then.  Next week, when I start G.I. Joe will be the first since last June.

Question: How is everyone?

Dennis Quaid: Everyone's doing great.  The kids are fantastic, and really healthy.  And happy kids.  Last night was the first night they slept all the way through the night.  From seven to 5:30.

Question: You mentioned that last year was the first year that you'd ever worked that hard.  What was behind the decision to take on four films in one year?

Dennis Quaid: It just happened to kind of be a perfect storm of these different films that came along at that time.  And just – I just wanted to – I wanted to do it.  So.

Question: Does your older son like being a brother now?

Dennis Quaid: Oh, he's doing great.  Yeah.

Question: Does he like them?  How old is he?

Dennis Quaid: He's, like, 15.  Six-one, passed me, like, last – two weeks ago he actually passed me.  So.

Question: Does he want to go into the business?

Dennis Quaid: Yeah, he's gonna be an actor.  He's definitely gonna be an actor.  I guarantee it.  He's – he's good – he's at Crossroads, in the drama department there, and very serious about what he's doing, which is great.  You know, he's not gonna do it professionally until he's 18, whatever.  I guess, at least.  At least not on my watch.  You know.  He's doing it the right way.  He's really kind of really trying to learn the craft, instead of – which I see a lot, with a lot of actors that are coming up now.  Everybody just wants to be famous first, and then maybe learn how to act.

Question: Do you look back at when you – you know, now that you've got your son sort of ready to do this kind of thing, when you – do you think it was harder when you started?  Or is it easier now, because there is so much emphasis on celebrity?  It's like, a different world?

Dennis Quaid: I don't know.  I wouldn't want to really be starting out now.  I prefer, like, the times that I started in.  Which was – it was very exciting, the times that I started in.  You know, I'm not – I'm sure it's – you know, from their point of view, it's just as exciting now, that's all they know.  But when I was starting out, it was like – you know, cutting my teeth on movies from the '70s.  And it was a very kind of exciting time, where you felt like the inmates had taken over the asylum, as far as the types of films that were being done in a mainstream way.  And the way American cinema was being shaped.  And it was great to be a part of that.

Question: Do you miss that Hollywood? 

Dennis Quaid: Yeah.  I do.  And – you know, even though – even back then, when they were doing movies like Badlands or – you know, Bonnie and Clyde or Five Easy Pieces, or – they also had movies – you know, they still had, like, Earthquake and The Towering Inferno, and – you know, all the Burt Reynolds chase – yeah.  So it's – it's a little distorted.  We – it's selective memory, in a way.  But, you know, I think that tradition is actually being carried over today.  I kind of feel like there's this sea change that has happened in the last – especially in the last five or six years, where independent films have really taken over that – most of the films that are nominated are these small independent movies from, like, Miramax, or wherever, that really remind me of the '70s.  Well, you know, No Country for Old Men is very much a '70s movie.  You know, There Will Be Blood.  These are films that remind me of that kind of filmmaking.  And they're not structured.  There's no real sort of hero to them.  Sort of like, either the rebel hero or antihero, or no hero.  But.  You know, they're sort of tearing apart the structure.

Question: Are there any of those sort of aberrant filmmakers on the on the scene today that you're particularly anxious to work with?

Dennis Quaid: Well, I'd still love to work with the Coen Brothers, and I still consider them to be sort of mavericks.  I really admire them, because they – it's such, like, in a way – they kind of – I mean, every film, they kind of reinvent themselves.  You know? 

Question: Is fatherhood better the second time around?

Dennis Quaid: Yeah.  It's – well, I don't know if it's better, but it's a lot easier.  It's easier in the sense that – you know, you've got – sure, all you guys who are Dads know that the first one comes along and you worry about everything.  You know, the second ones come along, you know, "Yeah, [INAUD] out.  That's fine."  Seen that and done that.  You kind of realize that it's – you know, they finally are – they aren't gonna go off to college and not – you know, like, the other night they slept through the night.  You know, eventually those things happen.  You know?  Eventually, you know, you're not gonna be changing diapers for the rest of your life.  You know, they'll get that down.  And then – so.  It's a little easier.  You're more relaxed about it.  But with two, it's – it's – you need another arm. 

Question: Is it easy to tell them apart?

Dennis Quaid: What?  Oh, yeah.  Boy and a girl, yeah.  It's easy to tell them apart.  Yeah.  One's wearing blue and the other one's wearing pink.  [LAUGHTER] You'd still be surprised.  People go, like, cuz they don't want to make a mistake.  They go, "Oh, that's the"—[LAUGHTER].

Question: Cuz they're identical, aren't they?

Dennis Quaid: "It's the girl, isn't it?"  Yes.  Yes! 

Question: I wanted to ask you another question about G.I. Joe, if you don't mind going back to that conversation.  You're starting next week.  Have you done any sort of rehearsals, or have you had to train on any weapons?  And also, could you just tell us what the movie's about?  [LAUGHTER] I don't mean, like, a spoiler –

Dennis Quaid: I really don't know what it's about.  [LAUGHTER] Well, it's – you know, it's kind of like, set a little bit in the future.  And it's – in a way, you know, the Joes are really sort of – like, they're this international sort of – they're this international sort of special forces type of group that mainly fights these terrorist groups that spring up.  It's really – it's more like – the movie's more like James Bond than it would be about – you know, like, a GI—yeah, it's more like James Bond.  And, you know, like with the group being Specter.  There's this real evil – there's this evil mastermind who's behind it.  And I think it's gonna be more like the old James Bonds.  You know, like Dr. No, where the mastermind has his own private island and all these people are wearing matching coveralls.

QUESTION:   Are you gonna have a flattop as General Hawk?

Dennis Quaid: No, I don't think so.  I don't think so.  I mean, I'm special forces, I can do anything I want.  So.  [LAUGHTER] I'm thinking about actually kind of going a little blond, Robert Redfordish type of –

Question: Have you ever thought about doing television?  Doing a TV series, where you don't have to go and travel anywhere, and just settling down for nine months out of the year?

DENNIS QUAID:  I – yeah, maybe later in life.  I don't know, I just like doing movies right now.  It's – I wouldn't be above.  But it's like – especially, like, some of these – what's happening in, like – what's really happening in places like HBO and Cinemax, yeah, all those outlets right now, that's really – I think, in a way, we keep talking about the '70s, but that really is really what's kind of happening now there.  Where you kind of feel like, kind of torn apart.  Television has gotten to the point where I think people are so used to – like, how many Friends episodes can you make?  And that kind of, like, three camera sitcom, cop show situations, they're really kind of tearing apart a lot of that, and giving people what they really want to see.  You know?

Question: You mentioned the HBO series.  But that one that they had last fall got a lot of attention because of the explicit sexuality.  I had an actress say to me, "I could not believe Jane Alexander is sitting there"—she must be 75 or something – "Bare-breasted, going down on the guy in the thing."  

Dennis Quaid: I missed that one.  [LAUGHTER]

Question: Would you be interested?  I mean, this is – you know, this is –

Dennis Quaid: With Jane Alexander?  [LAUGHTER] I really like Big Love.  That's really one of my favorites.  Dexter.  Which I think is down, like, on the regular –

Question: That's Showtime.

Dennis Quaid: But it's coming – I think it's now CBS.

Question: Yeah.

Dennis Quaid: There's a lot of it, really fun stuff to watch.

Question: I was actually hoping to get an answer if you've done any training or any rehearsals for the Joe project.

Dennis Quaid: I'm getting more buff.  [LAUGHTER] Yeah. 

Question: You look it.

Dennis Quaid: Thank you!  Yeah, thanks. 

Question: Do you work out every day?

DENNIS QUAID:  Take a little – human growth hormone in the morning.  [LAUGHTER] And – you kind of like, lay around.  And – you know, pump the babies.  [LAUGHTER]