Dennis Quaid felt "very strange" when he became older than his dad ever was.
Dennis Quaid always wished his dad had made it to his 70th birthday
The 70-year-old actor lost his father Buddy when he died at the age of 63 in 1987 and "always felt bad" that his father never reached the milestone birthday that he celebrated in April.
Speaking on 'Today', he said: "I turned 63 and I woke up in the middle of the night about six months after and it just hit me. So I counted the days from my dad’s birthday to the time he died, and from my birthday to when I woke up. It was the same number of days. In that night I was older than my dad had been. I still feel like he’s here in my heart and stuff, like that, but it’s… you become… it’s hard to explain.
"Here’s the thing: my dad passed when he was 69. I always felt bad that he didn’t make 70. It’s a very strange feeling to get past the point that your father did."
The Hollywood star - who is known for his roles in films such as 'The Day After Tomorrow' and 'The Parent Trap' - also admitted that he has "always enjoyed" fame but explained that the "dark side" of it had led him to struggles with addiction before he found religion.
He said: "Just, you know, 'Let this go and let that go,' because there’s nothing to be done about it. I was so in the middle of it and on my way to somewhere, that it was really hard to appreciate. If anything I would tell myself back then, ‘Hey, take it easy'. I did enjoy it, I've always had a bit of a sunny disposition about things but then there's a dark side to it too. I wound up in rehab!
"I grew up in the Baptist Church, and in my teens I become disillusioned [with it].
"Then I got into other things to fill that hole, achievements, drugs, relationships. Then, when I got out of rehab, the words of Jesus really struck me. That started my personal relationship with Him, that grew. It's a great source of strength for me."
Tagged in Dennis Quaid