NAMES IN THE NEWS : Randy Quaid a Hit as a Nerd

Randy Quaid has excelled in such heavy dramas as “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Of Mice and Men.” But the actor says he has made his mark with audiences as the nerdy Eddie in “National Lampoon’s Vacation.”

Quaid is back as Eddie, backwoods cousin to the character played by Chevy Chase, in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”

“I did the first movie six or seven years ago, and I was amazed,” Quaid said in a recent interview. “People still come up to me and quote lines from that part. I get a lot of recognition from that role--probably as much, if not more, than any other.”

Quaid tackled mostly serious roles when he first got into movies and television. He received Emmy nominations for “Streetcar” and the miniseries “LBJ: The Early Years.”

But after appearing on “Saturday Night Live,” Quaid followed with a string of light films, including “Parents,” “Out Cold” and the upcoming “Quick Change.”