Randall Rudy "Randy" Quaid (born October 1, 1950) is an American actor, known for his performance as Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, and many supporting roles in films. Randy Quaid was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Juanita Bonniedale "Nita" (née Jordan), a real estate agent, and William Rudy Quaid, an electrician.Randy attended Pershing Middle School and Bellaire High School. Quaid has a half brother, Buddy John Quaid and a half sister, Brandy Kaye Quaid, and stepmother Tana Quaid. Quaid has appeared in over 90 movies. Peter Bogdanovich discovered him when Quaid was a student at the University of Houston, and he received his first exposure in Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show. His character escorts Jacy Farrow (played by Cybill Shepherd) to late-night indoor skinny-dipping at a swimming pool. It was the first of his several roles directed by Bogdanovich and/or based on the writings of Larry McMurtry. Quaid's first major role was in the critically acclaimed The Last Detail (1973). He played a young US Navy sailor on his way to serve a harsh sentence for stealing $40 from an admiral's wife's pet charity.