‘Heads Of State's Jack Quaid Never Saw Himself As An Action Hero
2025 has been one heck of a year for Jack Quaid. Heads of State is his latest film to drop this year, following the crowd-pleasing Novocaine and Companion.
"I don't know. It's getting obnoxious at this point," Quaid laughs as we chat over Zoom. "It's been great and I'm very lucky. I feel like I've worked a lot over the past year. It has been strange for me. I didn't realize that all of it would come out within a few months of each other. That's the thing. It's interesting because I did Companion, Novocaine, and Heads of State, and Heads of State is coming out now, but I shot that first."
The Boys' Quaid plays a small but pivotal role in the action comedy, which lands on Amazon's Prime Video on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. When the UK Prime Minister and US President, played by Idris Elba and John Cena respectively, become the targets of a foreign enemy, they're forced to rely on one another to thwart a global conspiracy. Directed by Hardcore Henry and Nobody filmmaker Ilya Naishuller, Heads of State also stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Paddy Considine, Carla Gugino, and Stephen Root.
Quaid loves being an action movie star, but he didn't see it coming.
"I think this movie gave me the action bug that I carried forth in Novocaine. Ilya is one of our great action movie directors, and it was such a great opportunity. When the offer came in, I was like, 'I have to work with this guy.' I loved Nobody so much. Hardcore Henry is amazing," he enthuses. "First and foremost, he cares about entertaining an audience, and I love that about him, and he brings a lot of heart."
"I think that's something that appeals to me about it. I don't think anyone looks at me and thinks that I'm an action hero in any regard, but I think that's what makes it kind of fun and unexpected when all of a sudden, I am in a very intense action sequence. I love action movies from the 80s and 90s, and I especially enjoy those that are character-driven. I love stuff that's like, 'Well, you care about the characters, therefore you care about the action.' Both Novocaine and this have degrees of that."
Something else Quaid loves about the opportunity is that his character, Marty, gave him something that almost no other role he has been offered.
"I rarely get to be a person who is trained in combat or a badass in any way. Marty, he's not in the movie for a ton, but he knows what he's doing, and that was fun to do," the actor explains. 'He's a guy with a plan, a guy with actual skill. Knowing that Ilya was going to be behind the camera made it even more special.'
Quaid's big moment in Heads of State is an action sequence that took weeks to film due to its complexity, "even though I'm behind a wall shooting a shotgun for a lot of it."
"Every beat of it is very dense, whether I'm sliding down my hallway, or explosions are going off by my head, and I have to pretend not to be fazed by it in any way. You have to look psyched about it," he laughs. 'It took a while, and that's not to mention the scenes that we were shooting before that with John Cena and Idris Elba. I was a fan of them beforehand, but they're some of the nicest people I've ever met in my life. They're such great role models for what a number one or number two on a call sheet should be.'
The Scream and Plus One actor says that WWE legend Cena took him under his wing and "was basically my dad for those two weeks."
"He was like, 'Oh, you don't need to do that stunt in rehearsal. I don't want you to pull something.' He was so unbelievably kind and looked out for my well-being," he enthuses. 'Idris Elba is the coolest dude I've ever met in my life. I was making these dumb mashups on my phone, and I showed him one of them. He's a very accomplished DJ, so just getting a 'That's dope, man' from Idris Elba was the greatest moment of my life. I had a blast working with those two, and they crushed it in this movie.'
Jack Quaid at the Deadline Contenders Television 2025 held at the Directors Guild of America in Los ... More Angeles, California.
Jack Quaid Says 'Heads Of State' Hits All The Right Iconic Beats
Quaid's stand-out action sequence even surprised the actor when he got the chance to screen the movie. Impressed by the final product, he was especially surprised by the choice of music in the film, which featured one of his all-time favorite tracks, Sabotage by the Beastie Boys.
"I had no idea. It wasn't Sabotage when we were on set, I think they were playing a heavy metal song, but I'm not exactly sure what it was," he recalls. "Ilya had a certain beats per minute that he needed to hit. It needed to have a certain rhythm. He cares about every single sequence in his movie, and I didn't expect him to get that much face time with him, honestly, but we were having meetings about what the sequence should be about. The scene comes at a very pivotal part in the movie that is often referred to as the 'fun and games' section, which is all about getting the audience excited and hopefully laughing, to fulfil the promise of the premise."
"The whole time I'm like, 'What's going to be the song? It has got to be an absolute banger, 'and we were texting different ideas back and forth. At one point, we were both excited about the idea of it being ABBA because it would be a little bit unexpected to have an action scene set to an ABBA song, or for my character to be an ABBA fan. You never know what you're going to get the rights to in the moment."
He continues, 'I remember watching the movie for the first time. I was in London again, about a year later, and Ilya was like, 'Come on down and see the movie.' It was like me, Priyanka, and Katrina Durden, who plays one of the villains of the movie. My sequence came on, and they started playing Sabotage, and I lost my mind. I love that song. I work out to that song. It's perfect. I was so unbelievably happy and surprised that it was a Beastie Boys track. That was sick.'
John Cena and Idris Elba in 'Heads of State.'
While Quaid would have loved to have been in the film more, he's very happy with his work and how Heads of State turned out. He'd love to return to Marty if the opportunity came up.
"A sequel all depends on whether or not an audience enjoys the first movie, so hopefully they do. I would play this character again in a heartbeat. I think there's a lot left unexplored with him. I came up with my backstory, which I love, but you never know what's canon or not," he muses. "Case in point, I remember I came up with this whole elaborate backstory for my character in Scream then Scream VI happened, and it's like, 'Oh, I have a family and I have siblings,' which is great, but not what I'm thinking in my head at the time. I would love to explore this character further, because he is so intriguing. He's such a loon. What I was trying to tap into the most was that this is a guy who has lived by himself alone in a CIA safe house for seemingly years, and he doesn't socialize with a lot of people, so what does that look like when all of a sudden the President and the Prime Minister show up at his door? He's such a fan of the President, and at that moment he thinks that he's dead."
"I knew my role in helping their arc, where I'm supposed to be just fawning over the President and making Idris feel a little insecure about himself, and in a polite, nice way, plant a little bit of doubt in their relationship that they get over. That was fun to play as well. I remember really meeting John Cena for the first time and just being like, 'I'm going to hug you a lot. Is that okay?' He was very sweet, nice, and kind about it. It was really great hanging out with those guys. Obviously, I'd be down for a sequel, if that's something Amazon was interested in doing."
Jack Quaid attends the 'Novocaine' Los Angeles Premiere at Paramount Pictures Studios in Los ... More Angeles, California.
Quaid also wouldn't say no to a follow-up to another of his 2025 movies, the acclaimed box office actioner Novocaine.
"Oh, my God, yes," the humble actor concludes. "Honestly, I want to thank anyone who checked out anything I've ever made out. Seriously, that means the world to any actor, and I'm no exception. The fact that anyone has seen anything I've made in this past year, or ever, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart."
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I have three dogs — one of them a golden retriever, so you can imagine the amount of shedding — and this tool handles it like magic. It picks up pet hair effortlessly, especially on the couch, and using it is surprisingly soothing I appreciate most is the durability. I haven't had to replace it because the one I bought still works like the day I got it, even after a lot of use. It also hasn't damaged my couch fabric at all, which is a big only small downside is the button to open the fur compartment — it's placed right where you naturally grip the tool, so it took a bit of time to get used to. But once you do, it's simple and convenient to recommend for any household with pets — definitely worth having on hand!' —Vicky DominguezGet it from Amazon for $18.74 (available in two colors). A shower attachment designed especially for dogs, because it's so much quicker (and ultimately more cost-effective) than running to the groomer's every time your furry friend has decided that today would be a great day to roll around in that big ol' muddy patch they just found. This neat-o 'water spray comb' from the geniuses at Waterpik attaches easily to most shower heads with the included adapter, or can even hook up to a garden hose — and even though the spray is super gentle, it's also super effective. Promising review: 'Worth it! This made my life 1,000 times easier. My dogs get very anxious with baths, so using a cup to fill/pour with the loud tub spout did not make anything easier. This Waterpik has helped so much! It was easy to install and it fit perfectly with no leaks. The suction hook holder keeps falling, but I think that's because of my tile. Overall, it's a quality product that works super well.' —Carly Get it from Amazon for $49.99. A pack of Greenies dental treats, because — much like human teeth — taking care of your dog's chompers now is going to save them a whole world of ickiness and you a whole lot of money on vet bills later on. (Both are absolutely worth it!) Gnawing on these chewy little bones helps fight plaque and tartar all the way down to your pups' gumlines. Promising review: 'Helps with his bad breath! Eddie is a few months shy of four, so that stench emanating from his mouth isn't puppy breath. He's had some variety of real bones once or twice a week ever since he was three months old (marrow in the last few years), which have kept his teeth clean and healthy. Unfortunately, between my farting and his bad breath, our house can be a very stinky place sometimes. This is my second box of these 'standard' size chews, which Eddie gets every second or third day, and they have most definitely helped his breath. Pricey, but worth it.' —M. A. Rehak Get them from Amazon for $5.79+ (available in eight package sizes). An enzyme-powered stain and odor eliminator, because every pet owner knows that having one of these in your cleaning arsenal is nonnegotiable, especially if you don't want to have to deal with the hassle and expense of replacing your entire carpet situation. Messes of every imaginable variety (and probably ones you've never dared to imagine) literally break down when faced with this stuff, removing all traces from both sight and smell. Promising review: 'The best thing out there for difficult urine smells! We had an apartment and a dog who took literally six months to potty train and kept having accidents even though we kept cleaning up after each accident the carpet started to smell strongly of dog urine. I bought a carpet shampooer and was recommended to use this product and I can tell you that we literally pulled all the urine out of the carpets. It was unbelievable. It has a very herbal type of smell that dissipates once the carpet dries, but there was literally no trace of urine smells once we went over the carpet a few times with this stuff — definitely worth buying. You can keep it in a spray bottle and use it in spots that you clean up as well. For the record, we tried just about every product out there. This is the only one that actually did the trick.' —Molly G Get it from Amazon for $17.94+ (available in two sizes and two scents). And some Stomp 'N Go stain-removing pads for those times when you don't quite have the spare minutes to spend on a full-on cleaning session. They're better for smaller stains than big ones, but they can work some true magic if you're pressed for active cleaning time. All you have to do to use them is lay them on top of a stain, stomp on them, and then let them sit for around half an hour. When you pull the pad back up, voila! The stain will come with review: 'Seriously the best stain remover on carpets. A bit pricier than some, but worth the fast and easy way to deal with a pet stain. Love love. You will not regret and they are portable if you take a pet along somewhere and there is an accident.' —zanna616 Get a pack of 20 from Amazon for $27.48. A seat cover for your car, so you can make sure your pack of puppy pals are able to ride in comfort and keep your upholstery clean. (Two proverbial birds, one proverbial stone!) Drooly dogs? Hairy pups? Exuberant fur-buddies who love to roll in the dirt? Fasten this durable cover — which, by the way, comes complete with a waterproof backing — over the backseat, and you're good to go. Promising review: 'This product is well worth the investment. It fits our vehicle, keeps our dog safe (we have used three of these covers for other dogs over the years) and cleans well. Additionally, it keeps the back seat clean and protected from scratches and 'digging' from an excited dog. Currently using in an SUV with an Olde English Bulldogge. Previously we had German Shepherds. Would recommend for all vehicles and all breads of dog.' —Lorin C. Get it from Amazon for $28.49+ (available in two sizes, seven colors, and with or without a hard bottom). A 'Franny the Pet Nanny' snuggle toy that'll give both your pupper and you so much peace of mind. Designed specifically to ease anxiety in stressed pets, this cuddler's secret is in its hidden pocket: Stash a piece of clothing or other item that smells like their favorite person — you! — inside it, and your furry friend will always be able to cuddle with you, even if you're not actually, y'know, there. Franny also includes a battery-operated heart pulse insert you can put inside for even more comfort: When it's turned on, it'll mimic what your dog would feel when cozied up with a parent or litter. Whiskers 'n Paws is a woman-owned small business based in Madison Lake, MN that designs unique and truly adorable pet toys and review: 'I am in love with how cute and soft this plushie is, and my puppy loves it too! She suffers from separation anxiety and has a nervous demeanor in general. We are working with a trainer to help her, but I love that I can put something that smells like us inside during the few times a week we have to leave. She carries around and sleeps with Franny. The pulsing heart is a great addition and it does stay secured inside the toy. I might have to buy a second one as a backup!' —Sara McLean Get it from Whiskers 'n Paws on Etsy for $19.20 (originally $24; available in six colors). A highly rated crate, because this is one dog essential that's worth splashing out for. Trick it out with some comfy bedding and it'll quickly become your puppy pal's favorite spot in the house — and you'll be secure in knowing your doggo is also secure. Crate training? No problem! Promising review: 'Perfect for our 30-pound puppy! We bought this crate for our little scruffy terrier mix. He's about 30 pounds now (although he was smaller when we bought it). He fits really well in it and has grown to love his crate (he only stays in it when we are not home). He's broken out of some other crates, but this one fits him well and he actually goes in there willingly. This crate is great quality and the price was great, as well. I would definitely purchase this again. We've had this crate for over a year and it is still in incredible condition. I love that the bottom plastic part slides in and out so easily, because it is easy to clean and that is awesome! He doesn't ever have accidents in his crate, but a couple of times he's gotten sick and he also brings little dirty puppy paws in there, so after a while it needs to be cleaned. If this one broke somehow, I would absolutely order another one of the same thing for him. It has been worth every cent we paid and I am so happy I ordered this!' —Kelsey CouncilGet it from Amazon for $23.99+ (available in eight sizes). A pet-safe splash pad to keep your pal cool in the soaring temperatures this summer. Finding a dog-friendly place to go swimming can be tough — but with this hose-hookup pad, you and your fur bud can make your own summer fun together, right in your backyard! Promising review: 'This is wonderful! Our dog Delta loves it! It is easy to connect and get started. It adjusts easily to change the direction of the spray and very durable. Very much worth the money, would buy again! Perfect for our dogs!!' —Tony D Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in five colors and three sizes). And a bottle of ear wash, so your puppy can splash around all they want without suffering painful ear blockage or irritation. If you've ever spotted your pal pawing at their ear repeatedly, you know how uncomfortable ear gunk can be for them — but this stuff can help clear the problem up quickly. Sparing them the earache is always worth doing! Promising review: 'With swimming and summer comes excess issues with ears! After many vet visits and numerous products etc. that haven't worked very effectively, I've finally found some relief! This is so wonderful for my dogs. I was totally skeptical, but someone told me it's worth its weight in gold. Sure is!! Took away the excess junk, moisture, itching and smell in one simple treatment. Put some into the ear canal as directed, massaged etc., and then let it do its job. Cleaned the outside ear as needed and then no more redness, itching nor odor. Happy pups and so am I. No more running to Vets and dealing with so many treatments that take forever and don't work quickly or effectively without causing further irritation. Definitely going to always keep a bottle on hand!' —Pyr LoverGet it from Amazon for $8.94+ (available in two sizes; also available as disposable wipes). A pair of nail clippers, because no, you do not actually have to go to the groomer every time your dog needs their sharp little needles trimmed. The guard on this pair protects against too close a cut — and there's a nail file included, too. How's that for useful? Promising review: 'Easy and not scary to use! For the first time in my chihuahua's life I clipped his nails myself! We normally have to go every month to the groomers for this, but recently had a bad experience that forced us to handle this ourselves. It's super easy. Can't believe I was scared lol. The stopper makes it easy to measure a safe amount to clip. The trick is to have something to distract or calm your pup with and when you get that nail in place don't hesitate. Took two minutes for all four paws with my partner holding our dog. I did have to get in some weird crouches but it was worth it to avoid a groomer.' —Megan Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in three sizes). And lastly, some dog dander remover, so you can enjoy snuggles with your favorite furry companion without the sneezing or itchy eyes. A bottle of this stuff: About $25. The ability to cuddle with alllllllll the puppies you want: Priceless. Promising review: 'Amazing and magical! I never do reviews on same day of delivery. But this is an exception. Found out that I now have dog dander allergy and it's been miserable for months before finding out. I've had dogs all 49 years of my life and was devastated that I would have to give my dog up. My niece found this for me, I gaffed at the price, but whatever, if it works, it will be priceless to me. To experiment, I wiped down her front half with the spray on the mitt. Had playtime which, to my blue heeler, means I'm the jungle gym and she rolls all over me. My legs were itchy as heck, from her untreated back half. I purposely put my face into her neck and let her wiggle around. Absolutely zero itching at all!! I haven't been able to play with her like that in MONTHS!! This stuff is priceless and will be set on subscription. Get it, you will not regret it!! Worth every stinking penny!!' —Lina B Get it from Amazon for $25.99+ (available in sets of one or two bottles and with or without a spray top and applicator mitt).
