Updated February 10th, 2021 at 14:44 IST

My parents understood what it meant to be an actor: Jack Quaid on Meg Ryan, Dennis Quaid

Actor Jack Quaid says he feels blessed to be the son of Hollywood stars Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan as they supported him when he chose to follow in their footsteps and make a career in movies.

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Actor Jack Quaid says he feels blessed to be the son of Hollywood stars Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan as they supported him when he chose to follow in their footsteps and make a career in movies. Quaid is best known for films such as "The Hunger Games", "Logan Lucky" and smash hit Amazon series "The Boys".

"I'm not going to complain about it because obviously, I grew up in a way where I was very lucky. There was always food on the table and my parents got to do something really cool. "I also feel lucky because I got to do a fraction of what they've done. Whether I have parents who do the same thing or not, I still feel extremely lucky to be able to do what I do," the 28-year-old actor told PTI in a Zoom interview from Toronto.

Quaid said his star parents understood and supported his decision to become an actor.

"They understood what it meant to be an actor. It wasn't like I came to them and said, 'I want to be an actor.' And they're like, 'What? That doesn't make any sense. Go get a business degree or something like that.' It didn't happen and I'm really thankful for that." Quaid made his debut with 2012's "The Hunger Games" where he played the role of Marvel, a character that people have started noticing more post the success of "The Boys".

The actor recalled that when he signed for the part, he was warned by the makers that he will always be hated for killing Rue, a close confidante of Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss, in the dystopian drama.

"I get a lot of hate for that, but they told me that this would happen... Every few years, I feel like everyone has an awakening about that. No matter what I post on social media, it could just be me or something that has nothing to do with 'The Hunger Games', but there will be at least three comments that say like, 'You killed Rue. How could you?'" Quaid said.

He said not just avid franchise fans, even his sister's friends hate him for killing Rue in the movie.

"I remember she had like a sleepover for a birthday and she was watching it when she called me. She was like, 'All my friends are so mad at you.' "And then I heard this kid in the background, 'Is that your brother, get him off the phone.' This kid wanted to really chew me out for doing this. So yeah, I'm sorry. I'm officially very, very sorry." Post "The Hunger Games", Quaid took a different approach to his career as he started doing more indie movies such as "Just 45 Minutes from Broadway", "Roadies" and "Just Before I Go".

He also featured in "Vinyl", a short-lived HBO series from Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese, and Steven Soderbergh's "Logan Lucky".

"The Boys", a satirical series on superheroes, however, brought him real global fame with his relatable portrayal of Hughie, a mild-mannered guy who is thrown into a fight when his girlfriend is accidentally killed by one of the superheroes.

The actor is currently shooting for the show's third season. Quaid promised that the next chapter in the series will be even better from the previous ones. "The scripts are amazing. I'll say what I said before season two -- No one's ready, no one's prepared. There's some stuff that I never thought I would read.

"Eric (Kripke, the creator) and the writers are just so good at what they do. And so collaborative and cool. I think this is going to be a really interesting season and people are going to like it. So, I'm really excited," he said. Besides "The Boys" season three, Quaid will also star in "Scream", the fifth part in the iconic slasher franchise that was started by late filmmaker Wes Craven.

The actor will feature in the new part alongside legacy cast members -- Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courteney Cox -- as well as newcomers like Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Dylan Minnette.

Quaid promised that the new directors -- Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of "Ready or Not" fame -- will honour Craven's legacy with their take.

"The two directors, Matt and Tyler, are the biggest 'Scream' fans I've ever seen. I feel like they've modelled so much of what they do after those movies. You could just tell that this franchise means so much to them. It means as much to them as it means to the biggest and hardcore 'Scream' fans out there.

"So knowing that they were behind it and knowing that some of our legacy cast members gave them their blessing, meant a lot. They're really trying to uphold his memory because we wouldn't have screamed with Wes Craven. We wouldn't have a lot without West Craven," the actor added.

The actor said he is aware of the baggage of expectations that comes with the franchise.

"We're all aware of the expectations and a little bit of the pressure, but I think we have made something really cool that 'Scream' fans are really going to enjoy. So we're just gonna have to wait and see." 

(Image credits: Rebecca Cabage/Invision/AP)

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Published February 10th, 2021 at 14:44 IST