Randy Quaid Played a Lawyer in the Movies. Now, He's, Um, Playing One in Real Life

Vacation actor goes a-courtin' to protect what's left of his fortune and he and his wife's (sort of) good name

Who would be out to get Randy Quaid?

Well, to hear the Vacation star tell it, he's been targeted by a vast conspiracy to swindle him out of millions of dollars.

The actor is on the offensive against his financial advisors and his bank, accusing them of plotting to pocket his hard-earned dough.

Acting as his own attorney (after all, he did play a lawyer in Caddyshack II—that's got to count for something, right?), Quaid filed a lawsuit Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court that the parties, including City National Bank, deliberately colluded to cheat him of more than $10 million by forging his John Hancock on financial agreements that saw him taking out "loans I did not need or want."

Consequently, with the real estate market collapse, the 57-year-old actor suffered huge losses.

He also alleges the financial gurus ripped him off of more than $600,000 in royalties from his role in Brokeback Mountain. And thanks to his mounting money woes, he's in major league debt to the IRS.

If you're wondering why the erstwhile Cousin Eddie went to the trouble of handling all the legal chores by his little lonesome, the following might help to explain it.

Today, Quaid and his wife/partner-in-crazy, Evi, saw their lawsuit against their onetime lawyer, Lloyd Braun, proceed according to plan after a Los Angeles judge denied a motion by the latter to toss the case. Braun will be able to refile his request later on.

The Quaids sued Braun in April alleging that after they retained him to negotiate various business deals he used their close friendship for personal gain and then backstabbed them by posting untruths about them on his entertainment site.

Which is curious. Considering the couple's recent behavior, the truth is stranger than fiction.