Dennis Quaid Steps Up – Announces Biopic for Late Country Music Legend Charley Pride

Country music legend Charley Pride tragically passed away earlier this month at the age of 86 due to complications from COVID-19. While country music fans dearly miss Charley Pride, they can take comfort in the fact that the Hollywood star Dennis Quaid has started work on a movie about his incredible life.

Dennis Quaid Making Movie About Country Music Legend Charley Pride

66-year-old Quaid has a storied Hollywood career. He’s starred in films ranging from the faith-based I can Only Imagine to heartwarmer A Dog’s Purpose and even 80’s Sci-Fi Innerspace. 

What fans might now know is that Quaid has wanted to do a Charley Pride biopic for a long time. What’s more amazing is that the actor was able to recently get traction on the movie idea.

Quaid even had lunch with Charley Pride and his wife before the pandemic.

“I tried to do a movie on Charley Pride years ago, and it just didn’t go anywhere at the time,” Quaid recently told Wide Open Country. “My good friend was Jack Clement, who was a great mentor to Charley.”

“So I got ahold of Charley and asked if I could just come and meet him in Dallas,” he continued. “I went and had Mexican lunch with he and his wife Rozene. This was before the pandemic. We got it up and running again.”

RELATED: Only Lifelong Country Fans Will Recognize This Charley Pride Song!

Charley Pride’s Wife Will Be Involved In The Biopic

Quaid went on to say that Pride’s wife Rozene, who he was married to for nearly 54 years, will be helping out with the movie as well.

“The writer, Dianne Houston, sat down with Charley and Rozene and really had them tell her everything from scratch,” Quaid added. “It might be told with a little bit of Rozene’s point of view, as well, because she really witnessed everything. It’s going to be very truthful and thought-provoking, I think.”

“It’s the story of their amazing marriage, and it’s pretty incredible,” he continued. “Life on the road and going through the ’50s and the ’60s and the Civil Rights Movement and all the rest of that. And Charley’s unique point of view about himself and when it comes to race. I think it’s a story everyone can relate to.”

RELATED: CMAs Respond To Backlash About Charley Pride’s Death Weeks After His In-Person Performance

The Country Legend Dreamed Of His Own Biopic

Last year, Charley Pride told Entertainment Weekly that he wanted to see a biopic of himself come to fruition. 

“My ultimate want is a movie about my life,” Pride said. “Because every movie that they’ve done about a country artist, an Oscar came of it. Sissy Spacek for Loretta [Lynn]. Of course, they had Jamie Foxx for Ray Charles and Reese Witherspoon [for June Carter Cash in Walk the Line].”

“Mine was all ready to go in 2008,” he added. “And they had the producers, directors, everything. Terrence Howard was going to play me. [It didn’t happen because] they had some internal things going on at Paramount.”

“Now, we’re working with a [producer] that was involved with A Time To Kill with Samuel Jackson, and a guy that’s now involved with A Star Is Born. So, we’re trying to make sure we get it off the ground,” Pride stated. 

While Charley Pride sadly did not live long enough to see a biopic of his life be made, we’re glad to see that a movie about his amazing life seems to be coming down the pipeline very soon thanks to Dennis Quaid!