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Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker and photographer. He attended the Actors Studio, made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in '' Giant'' (1956). In the next ten years he made a name in television, and by the end of the 1960s had appeared in several films, notably '' Cool Hand Luke'' (1967) and ''
Hang 'Em High ''Hang 'Em High'' is a 1968 American DeLuxe Color revisionist Western film directed by Ted Post and written by Leonard Freeman and Mel Goldberg. It stars Clint Eastwood as Jed Cooper, an innocent man who survives a lynching; Inger Stevens as ...
'' (1968). Hopper also began a prolific and acclaimed photography career in the 1960s. Hopper made his directorial film debut with '' Easy Rider'' (1969), which he and co-star Peter Fonda wrote with Terry Southern. The film earned Hopper a
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...
Award for "Best First Work" and a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with th ...
(shared with Fonda and Southern). Journalist Ann Hornaday wrote: "With its portrait of
counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. H ...
heroes raising their middle fingers to the uptight middle-class hypocrisies, ''Easy Rider'' became the cinematic symbol of the 1960s, a celluloid anthem to freedom, macho bravado and anti-establishment rebellion". Film critic Matthew Hays wrote "no other persona better signifies the lost idealism of the 1960s than that of Dennis Hopper".Unterburger, Amy L. (editor) ''International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers – vol 3 Actors and Actresses'', St. James Press (1997) p. 564 Following the critical and commercial failure of his second film as director, '' The Last Movie'' (1971), he worked on various
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...
and foreign projects – in which he was frequently typecast as mentally disturbed outsiders in such films as '' Mad Dog Morgan'' (1976) and ''
The American Friend ''The American Friend'' (german: Der amerikanische Freund) is a 1977 neo-noir film by Wim Wenders, adapted from the 1974 novel '' Ripley's Game'' by Patricia Highsmith. The film features Dennis Hopper as career criminal Tom Ripley and Bruno Ganz a ...
'' (1977) – until he found new fame for his role as an American photojournalist in '' Apocalypse Now'' (1979). He went on to helm his third directorial work '' Out of the Blue'' (1980), for which he was again honored at Cannes, and appeared in '' Rumble Fish'', '' The Osterman Weekend'' (both 1983), and '' My Science Project'' (1985). He saw a career resurgence in 1986 when he was widely acclaimed for his performances in '' Blue Velvet'' and '' Hoosiers'', the latter of which saw him nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His fourth directorial outing came about through '' Colors'' (1988), followed by an Emmy-nominated lead performance in ''
Paris Trout ''Paris Trout'' is a 1991 made-for-television drama film directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal, starring Dennis Hopper, Barbara Hershey, and Ed Harris. It is based on the novel '' Paris Trout'' by author Pete Dexter. Plot Paris Trout is an unrepenta ...
'' (1991). In 1990, Dennis Hopper directed '' The Hot Spot,'' which was not a box-office hit. Hopper found greater fame for portraying the villains of the films '' Super Mario Bros.'' (1993), ''
Speed In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quant ...
'' (1994), and '' Waterworld'' (1995). Hopper's later work included a leading role in the short-lived television series ''
Crash Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch ...
'' (2008–2009), inspired by the film of the same name. He appeared in three films released posthumously: '' Alpha and Omega'' (2010), '' The Last Film Festival'' (2016) and the long-delayed ''
The Other Side of the Wind ''The Other Side of the Wind'' is a 2018 satirical drama film, directed, co-written, co-produced and co-edited by Orson Welles, and posthumously released in 2018 after forty-eight years in development. The film stars John Huston, Bob Random, P ...
'' (2018), which had been filmed in the early 1970s.


Early life

Hopper was born on May 17, 1936, in Dodge City, Kansas, the son of Marjorie Mae (née Davis; July 12, 1917 – January 12, 2007) and James Millard Hopper (June 23, 1916 – August 7, 1982). He had Scottish ancestors. Hopper had two brothers, Marvin and David. After World War II, the family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where the young Hopper attended Saturday art classes at the Kansas City Art Institute. When he was 13, Hopper and his family moved to San Diego, where his mother worked as a lifeguard instructor and his father was a post office manager, having previously served in the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
, in World War II in the China Burma India Theater. Hopper was voted most likely to succeed at Helix High School, where he was active in the drama club, speech and choir. It was there that he developed an interest in acting, studying at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, and the Actors Studio in New York City (he studied with Lee Strasberg for five years). Hopper struck up a friendship with actor Vincent Price, whose passion for art influenced Hopper's interest in art. He was especially fond of the plays of
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
.


Career


Film

Hopper was reported to have an uncredited role in '' Johnny Guitar'' in 1954, but he has stated that he was not in Hollywood when this film was made.Murray, Noel (December 2, 2008)
Random Roles with Dennis Hopper
. '' The A.V. Club'', Onion Inc. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
Hopper made his debut on film in two roles with James Dean (whom he admired immensely) in '' Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955) and '' Giant'' (1956). Dean's death in a car accident in September 1955 affected the young Hopper deeply and it was shortly afterward that he got into a confrontation with veteran director Henry Hathaway on the film '' From Hell to Texas'' (1958). Hopper forced Hathaway to shoot more than 80 takes of a scene over several days before he acquiesced to Hathaway's direction. After filming was finally completed, Hathaway allegedly told Hopper that his career in Hollywood was finished. In his book ''Last Train to Memphis'', American popular music historian Peter Guralnick says that in 1956, when
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
was making his first film in Hollywood, Hopper was roommates with fellow actor Nick Adams and the three became friends and socialized together. In 1959 Hopper moved to New York to study Method acting under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. In 1961, Hopper played his first lead role in '' Night Tide'', an atmospheric supernatural thriller involving a mermaid in an amusement park. In a December 1994 interview on the ''
Charlie Rose Show ''Charlie Rose'' (also known as ''The Charlie Rose Show'') is an American television interview and talk show, with Charlie Rose as executive producer, executive editor, and host. The show was syndicated on PBS from 1991 until 2017 and is owned ...
'', Hopper credited
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...
with saving his career, as Hopper acknowledged that because of his insolent behavior, he could not find work in Hollywood for seven years. Hopper stated that because he was the son-in-law of actress Margaret Sullavan, a friend of John Wayne, Wayne hired Hopper for a role in '' The Sons of Katie Elder'' (1965), also directed by Hathaway, which enabled Hopper to restart his film career. Hopper acted in another John Wayne film, ''
True Grit True Grit may refer to: Fiction * True Grit (novel), ''True Grit'' (novel), a 1968 novel by Charles Portis ** True Grit (1969 film), ''True Grit'' (1969 film), a film adaptation by Henry Hathaway, starring John Wayne ** True Grit (2010 film), ''Tr ...
'' (1969), and during its production, he became well acquainted with Wayne. In both of the films with Wayne, Hopper's character is killed in the presence of Wayne's character, to whom he utters his dying words. Hopper had a supporting role as the bet-taker, "Babalugats", in '' Cool Hand Luke'' (1967). In 1968, Hopper teamed with Peter Fonda, Terry Southern and Jack Nicholson to make '' Easy Rider'', which premiered in July 1969. With the release of ''
True Grit True Grit may refer to: Fiction * True Grit (novel), ''True Grit'' (novel), a 1968 novel by Charles Portis ** True Grit (1969 film), ''True Grit'' (1969 film), a film adaptation by Henry Hathaway, starring John Wayne ** True Grit (2010 film), ''Tr ...
'' a month earlier, Hopper had starring roles in two major box-office films that summer. Hopper won wide acclaim as the director for his improvisational methods and innovative editing for ''Easy Rider''. The production was plagued by creative differences and personal acrimony between Fonda and Hopper, the dissolution of Hopper's marriage to
Brooke Hayward Brooke Hayward (born July 5, 1937) is an American actress and model. Her memoir, '' Haywire'' was a best-seller. Early life and education Born in Los Angeles, Hayward is the eldest of three children born to agent turned film, television, and s ...
, his unwillingness to leave the editor's desk and his accelerating abuse of drugs and alcohol. Hopper said of ''Easy Rider'': "The cocaine problem in the United States is really because of me. There was no cocaine before ''Easy Rider'' on the street. After ''Easy Rider'', it was everywhere". Besides showing drug use on film, it was one of the first films to portray the hippie lifestyle. Hopper became a stereotype for some male youths who rejected traditional jobs and traditional American culture, partly exemplified by Fonda's long sideburns and Hopper wearing shoulder-length hair and a long mustache. They were denied rooms in motels and proper service in restaurants as a result of their radical looks.Hillman, Betty Luther. ''Dressing for the Culture Wars: Style and the Politics of Self-Presentation in the 1960s and 1970s'', Univ. of Nebraska Press (2015) e-book Their long hair became a point of contention in various scenes during the film. Hopper was unable to capitalize on his ''Easy Rider'' success for several years. In 1970 he filmed ''The Last Movie'', cowritten by
Stewart Stern Stewart Henry Stern (March 22, 1922 – February 2, 2015) was an American screenwriter. He is best known for writing the screenplay for the film ''Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955), starring James Dean. Writing In addition to ''Rebel Without a Caus ...
and photographed by László Kovács in Peru, and completed production in 1971. It won the prestigious CIDALC Award at that year's Venice Film Festival, but Universal Studios leaders expected a blockbuster like ''Easy Rider'', and did not like the film or give it an enthusiastic release, while American film audiences found it confounding – as convoluted as an abstract painting. On viewing the first release print, fresh from the lab, in his screening room at Universal,
MCA MCA may refer to: Astronomy * Mars-crossing asteroid, an asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Mars Aviation * Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways * Medium Combat Aircraft, a 5th gen ...
founder Jules C. Stein rose from his chair and said, "I just don't understand this younger generation." During the tumultuous editing process, Hopper ensconced himself at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House in Taos, New Mexico, which he had purchased in 1970, for almost an entire year. In between contesting Fonda's rights to the majority of the residual profits from ''Easy Rider'', he married singer Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas on Halloween of 1970. The marriage lasted eight days. Hopper was able to sustain his lifestyle and a measure of celebrity by acting in numerous
low budget A low-budget film or low-budget movie is a motion picture shot with little to no funding from a major film studio or private investor. Many independent films are made on low budgets, but films made on the mainstream circuit with inexperienced or ...
and European films throughout the 1970s as the archetypal "tormented maniac", including '' Mad Dog Morgan'' (1976), '' Tracks'' (1976), and ''
The American Friend ''The American Friend'' (german: Der amerikanische Freund) is a 1977 neo-noir film by Wim Wenders, adapted from the 1974 novel '' Ripley's Game'' by Patricia Highsmith. The film features Dennis Hopper as career criminal Tom Ripley and Bruno Ganz a ...
'' (1977). With Francis Ford Coppola's blockbuster '' Apocalypse Now'' (1979), Hopper returned to prominence as a hyper-manic Vietnam-era photojournalist. Stepping in for an overwhelmed director, Hopper won praise in 1980 for his directing and acting in '' Out of the Blue''. Immediately thereafter, Hopper starred as an addled short-order cook "Cracker" in the
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...
/ Dean Stockwell low-budget collaboration ''
Human Highway ''Human Highway'' is a 1982 American comedy film starring and co-directed by Neil Young under his pseudonym Bernard Shakey. Dean Stockwell co-directed the film and acted along with Russ Tamblyn, Dennis Hopper, and the band Devo. Included is a ...
''. Production was reportedly often delayed by his unreliable behavior. Peter Biskind states in the New Hollywood history '' Easy Riders, Raging Bulls'' that Hopper's cocaine intake had reached three grams a day by this time, complemented by 30 beers, and some marijuana and Cuba libres. After staging a "suicide attempt" (really more of a daredevil act) in a coffin using 17 sticks of dynamite during an "art happening" at the Rice University Media Center (filmed by professor and documentary filmmaker Brian Huberman), and later disappearing into the Mexican desert during a particularly extravagant bender, Hopper entered a drug rehabilitation program in 1983. Though Hopper gave critically acclaimed performances in Coppola's '' Rumble Fish'' (1983) and
Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic ''The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institut ...
's '' The Osterman Weekend'' (1983), it was not until he portrayed the gas-huffing, obscenity-screaming villain Frank Booth in David Lynch's '' Blue Velvet'' (1986) that his career truly revived. On reading the script Hopper said to Lynch: "You have to let me play Frank Booth. Because I am Frank Booth!" He won critical acclaim and several awards for this role, and in the same year received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as an alcoholic assistant basketball coach in '' Hoosiers''. Also in 1986, Hopper portrayed Lt. Enright in the comedy horror '' The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2''. In 1988, he directed '' Colors'', a critically acclaimed police procedural about gang violence in Los Angeles starring
Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008). Penn began his acting career in televisi ...
and Robert Duvall. Hopper plays an aging hippie prankster in the 1990 comedy '' Flashback'', fleeing in a '' Furthur''-like old bus to the tune of Steppenwolf's " Born to Be Wild". He was nominated for an Emmy Award for the 1991 HBO film ''Paris Trout''. Shortly thereafter, he played drug smuggler and DEA informant Barry Seal in the HBO film ''Doublecrossed''. He starred as King Koopa in '' Super Mario Bros.'', a 1993 critical and commercial failure loosely based on the video game of the same name. In 1993, he played Clifford Worley in '' True Romance''. He co-starred in the 1994 blockbuster ''
Speed In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quant ...
'' with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, and as magic-phobic H.P. Lovecraft in the TV movie '' Witch Hunt''. In 1995, Hopper played a greedy TV self-help guru, Dr. Luther Waxling in '' Search and Destroy''. The same year, he starred as Deacon, the one-eyed nemesis of Kevin Costner in '' Waterworld''. And in 1996 he starred in the science fiction comedy ''
Space Truckers ''Space Truckers'' is a 1996 comic science fiction film directed by Stuart Gordon and starring Dennis Hopper, Stephen Dorff, Debi Mazar and Charles Dance. It was filmed at Ardmore Studios, County Wicklow, Ireland. The story concerns John Cany ...
'' directed by
Stuart Gordon Stuart Alan Gordon (August 11, 1947 – March 24, 2020) was an American filmmaker, theatre director, screenwriter, and playwright. Initially recognized for his provocative and frequently controversial work in experimental theatre, Gordon is ...
. In 1999, he starred in ''The Prophet's Game'' (a dark thriller), directed by David Worth and also starring Stephanie Zimbalist, Robert Yocum, Sandra Locke, Joe Penny and Tracey Birdsall. In 2003, Hopper was in the running for the dual lead in the indie horror drama '' Firecracker'', but was ousted at the last minute in favor of Mike Patton. In 2005, Hopper played Paul Kaufman in George A. Romero's ''
Land of the Dead ''Land of the Dead'' (also known as ''George A. Romero's Land of the Dead'') is a 2005 post-apocalyptic horror film written and directed by George A. Romero; the fourth of Romero's six '' Living Dead'' movies, it is preceded by ''Night of the L ...
''. In 2008, Hopper starred in ''
An American Carol ''An American Carol'' (released as ''Big Fat Important Movie'' in other territories) is a 2008 American satirical comedy film directed by David Zucker and written by Zucker, Myrna Sokoloff and Lewis Friedman. Using the framework of Charles Dicke ...
''. In 2008 he also played The Death in Wim Wenders' '' Palermo Shooting''. His last major feature film appearance was in the 2008 film '' Elegy'' with Ben Kingsley, Penélope Cruz and Debbie Harry. For his last performance, he was the voice of Tony, the alpha-male of the Eastern wolf pack inside the 2010 3D computer animated film '' Alpha and Omega''. He died before the movie was released. This brought the directors to dedicate the film to his memory at the beginning of the movie credits. Hopper filmed scenes for ''
The Other Side of the Wind ''The Other Side of the Wind'' is a 2018 satirical drama film, directed, co-written, co-produced and co-edited by Orson Welles, and posthumously released in 2018 after forty-eight years in development. The film stars John Huston, Bob Random, P ...
'' in 1971, appearing as himself; after decades of legal, financial and technical delays, the film was finally released on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
in 2018.


Television

Hopper debuted in an episode of the Richard Boone television series '' Medic'' in 1955, portraying a young epileptic. He appeared as an arrogant young gunfighter, the Utah Kid, in the 1956 episode "Quicksand" of the first hour-long western television series ''
Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...
'', starring Clint Walker. In the storyline, the Kid gave Cheyenne Bodie no choice but to kill him in a gunfight. In 1957 Hopper played thief Abe Larson in another ''
Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...
'' episode titled "The Iron Trail." In 1957, he played Billy the Kid on the episode "Brannigan's Boots" of '' Sugarfoot'' with Will Hutchins. He appeared in the first episode of the popular TV series, "
The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The sho ...
" (1958–1963) as protagonist Vernon Tippet. The series starred Chuck Connors and the premiere episode "The Sharpshooter" was written by
Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic ''The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institut ...
. He subsequently appeared in over 140 episodes of television shows such as '' Gunsmoke'', '' Bonanza'', '' Petticoat Junction'', '' The Twilight Zone'', '' The Barbara Stanwyck Show'', '' The Defenders'', '' The Investigators'', ''
The Legend of Jesse James ''The Legend of Jesse James'' is a 1980 country music concept album written by English songwriter Paul Kennerley, based on the story of American Old West outlaw Jesse James. The album features Levon Helm singing the role of Jesse James, J ...
'', '' Entourage'', '' The Big Valley'', ''
The Time Tunnel ''The Time Tunnel'' is an American color science fiction TV series written around a theme of time travel adventure starring James Darren and Robert Colbert. The show was creator-producer Irwin Allen's third science-fiction television series an ...
'', and '' Combat!''. On 30 September 1970, Hopper appeared on the second episode of season 2 of " The Johnny Cash Show" where he sang a duet with Cash entitled "Goin' Up Goin' Down". Cash said the song was written by Kris Kristofferson about Hopper. Hopper added that Kristofferson had written some songs for his Peruvian-shot movie " The Last Movie", in which Kristofferson appeared in his debut role with
Julie Adams Julie Adams (born Betty May Adams; October 17, 1926 – February 3, 2019) was an American actress, billed as Julia Adams toward the beginning of her career, primarily known for her numerous television guest roles. She starred in a number of ...
. Hopper also recited
Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)'' The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...
's famous poem If— during his appearance. Hopper teamed with Nike in the early 1990s to make a series of television commercials. He appeared as a "crazed referee" in those ads. He portrayed villain Victor Drazen in the first season of the popular action drama '' 24''. Hopper appeared on the final two episodes of the cult 1991 television show ''
Fishing with John ''Fishing with John'' is a 1991 television series conceived, directed by and starring actor and musician John Lurie, which earned a cult following. On the surface, the series resembles a standard travel or fishing show: in each episode, Lurie ta ...
'' with host '' John Lurie''. Hopper starred as a U.S. Army colonel in the 2005 television series '' E-Ring'', a drama set at
The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...
, but the series was canceled after 14 episodes aired. Hopper appeared in all 22 episodes that were filmed. He also played the part of record producer Ben Cendars in the Starz television series ''
Crash Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch ...
'', which lasted two seasons (26 episodes).


Photography and art

Hopper had several artistic pursuits beyond film. He was a prolific photographer, painter, and sculptor.
Hopper art show opens
BBC. February 20, 2001. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
Hopper's fascination with art began with painting lessons at the
Nelson-Atkins Museum The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is an art museum in Kansas City, Missouri, known for its encyclopedic collection of art from nearly every continent and culture, and especially for its extensive collection of Asian art. In 2007, ''Time'' magazi ...
while still a child in Kansas City, Missouri.Jessica Hundley (July 11, 2010)
Dennis Hopper, easy-rider art enthusiast
''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved May 3, 2022
Early in his career, he painted and wrote poetry, though many of his works were destroyed in the 1961
Bel Air Fire The Bel Air Fire was a disaster that began as a brush fire on November 6, 1961, in the Bel Air, Los Angeles, Bel Air community of Los Angeles. The fire destroyed 484 homes and burned At least 200 Firemen were injured, with mostly eye injuries due ...
, which burned hundreds of homes, including his and his wife's, on Stone Canyon RoadBrooke Hayward (September 2001)
Once Upon a Time in L.A.
''
Vanity Fair Vanity Fair may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Literature * Vanity Fair, a location in '' The Pilgrim's Progress'' (1678), by John Bunyan * ''Vanity Fair'' (novel), 1848, by William Makepeace Thackeray * ''Vanity Fair'' (magazines), the ...
''.
in Bel Air.Edward Wyatt (May 29, 2010)
Dennis Hopper, 74, Hollywood Rebel, Dies
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''.
His painting style ranges from
abstract impressionism Abstract Impressionism is an art movement that originated in New York City, in the 1940s.Eduoard Malingue Gallery. ''Impressionism to Modern Art.'' Hong Kong: Eduard Malingue Gallery, 2011. 10. It involves the painting of a subject such as real-li ...
to photorealism and often includes references to his cinematic work and to other artists. Ostracized by the Hollywood film studios due to his reputation for being a "difficult" actor, Hopper turned to photography in 1961 with a camera bought for him by his first wife
Brooke Hayward Brooke Hayward (born July 5, 1937) is an American actress and model. Her memoir, '' Haywire'' was a best-seller. Early life and education Born in Los Angeles, Hayward is the eldest of three children born to agent turned film, television, and s ...
. During this period he created the cover art for the Ike & Tina Turner album '' River Deep – Mountain High'' (released in 1966). He became a prolific photographer, and noted writer Terry Southern profiled Hopper in ''Better Homes and Gardens'' as an up-and-coming photographer "to watch" in the mid-1960s. Hopper's early photography is known for portraits from the 1960s, and he began shooting portraits for ''Vogue'' and other magazines. His photographs of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1963 March on Washington and the 1965 civil-rights march in Selma, Alabama, were published. His intimate and unguarded images of
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
,
Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Jane Fonda, various accolades including two ...
,
The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole con ...
, Paul Newman, Jasper Johns, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, James Brown, Peter Fonda, Ed Ruscha, the Grateful Dead, Michael McClure, and Timothy Leary, among others, became the subject of gallery and museum shows and were collected in several books, including "1712 North Crescent Heights." The book, whose title refers to the house where he lived with Hayward in the
Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Geography The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood touches Studio City, Un ...
in the 1960s, was edited by his daughter Marin Hopper. In 1960–67, before the making of ''Easy Rider'', Hopper created 18,000 images that chronicled the remarkable artists, musicians, actors places, happenings, demonstrations, and concerts of that period. ''Dennis Hopper: Photographs 1961–1967'' was published in February 2011, by Taschen. German film director Wim Wenders said of Hopper that if “he’d only been a photographer, he’d be one of the great photographers of the twentieth century.” In ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'', Hopper, as photographer, was described as "a compelling, important, and weirdly omnipresent chronicler of his times." Hopper began working as a painter and a poet as well as a collector of art in the 1960s as well, particularly Pop Art. Over his lifetime he amassed a formidable array of 20th- and 21st-century art, including many of Julian Schnabel's works (such as a shattered-plate portrait of Hopper); numerous works from his early cohorts, such as Ed Ruscha, Edward Kienholz, Roy Lichtenstein (''Sinking Sun'', 1964), and Warhol (''Double Mona Lisa'', 1963); and pieces by contemporary artists such as Damien Hirst and Robin Rhode. He was involved in L.A.'s Ferus and Virginia Dwan galleries in the 1960s, and he was a longtime friend and supporter to New York dealer Tony Shafrazi. One of the first art works Hopper owned was an early print of
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
's
Campbell's Soup Cans ''Campbell's Soup Cans'' (sometimes referred to as ''32 Campbell's Soup Cans'') is a work of art produced between November 1961 and March or April 1962 by American artist Andy Warhol. It consists of thirty-two canvases, each measuring in he ...
bought for US$75. Hopper also once owned Warhol's ''Mao'', which he shot one evening in a fit of paranoia, the two bullet holes possibly adding to the print's value. The print sold at Christie's, New York, for US$302,500 in January 2011.Sale 2412 Lot 37: Andy Warhol (1928–1987) In Collaboration With Dennis Hopper (1936–2010)
Christie's, New York. Accessed September 2013.
The proceeds of the two-day sale of some 300 pieces from Hopper's collection at Christie's went to his four children. During his lifetime, Hopper's own work as well as his collection was shown in monographic and group exhibitions around the world including the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota; the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; the
State Hermitage Museum The State Hermitage Museum ( rus, Государственный Эрмитаж, r=Gosudarstvennyj Ermitaž, p=ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)ɨj ɪrmʲɪˈtaʂ, links=no) is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is the larges ...
, St. Petersburg; MAK Vienna: Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art, Vienna; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; and the Cinémathèque Française, Paris, and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Melbourne. In March 2010, it was announced that Hopper was on the "short list" for Jeffrey Deitch's inaugural show at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA). In April 2010, Deitch confirmed that Hopper's work, curated by Julian Schnabel, will indeed be the focus of his debut at MOCA. The title of the exhibition, ''Double Standard'', was taken from Hopper's iconic 1961 photograph of the two Standard Oil signs seen through an automobile windshield at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard, Melrose Avenue, and North Doheny Drive on historic Route 66 in Los Angeles. The image was reproduced on the invitation for Ed Ruscha's second solo exhibition at Ferus Gallery in 1964. In 2011, Barricade Books published film historian Peter L. Winkler's biography, ''Dennis Hopper: The Wild Ride of a Hollywood Rebel''. In 2013, Harper Collins published ''Hopper: A Journey into the American Dream'', a biography by American writer Tom Folsom. On the Gorillaz album '' Demon Days'', Hopper narrates the song "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head". In the late 1980s, Hopper purchased a trio of nearly identical two-story, loft-style condominiums at 330 Indiana Avenue in Venice Beach, California – one made of concrete, one of plywood, and one of green roofing shingles – built by Frank Gehry and two artist friends of Hopper's, Chuck Arnoldi and Laddie John Dill, in 1981. In 1987, he commissioned an industrial-style main residence, with a corrugated metal exterior designed by Brian Murphy, as a place to display his artwork.


Personal life

According to ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, Hopper was "one of Hollywood's most notorious drug addicts" for 20 years. He spent much of the 1970s and early 1980s living as an "outcast" in Taos, New Mexico, after the success of ''Easy Rider''. Hopper was also "notorious for his troubled relationships with women", including Michelle Phillips, who divorced him after eight days of marriage. Hopper was married five times. He has been widely reported to be the godfather of actress Amber Tamblyn; in a 2009 interview with ''Parade'', Tamblyn explained that "godfather" was "just a loose term" for Hopper, Dean Stockwell and
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...
, three famous friends of her father's, who were always around the house when she was growing up, and who were big influences on her life. In 1994, Rip Torn filed a defamation lawsuit against Hopper over a story Hopper told on '' The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''. Hopper claimed that Torn pulled a knife on him during pre-production of the film ''Easy Rider''. According to Hopper, Torn was originally cast in the film but was replaced with Jack Nicholson after the incident. According to Torn's suit, it was actually Hopper who pulled the knife on him. A judge ruled in Torn's favor and Hopper was ordered to pay US$475,000 in damages. Hopper then appealed but the judge again ruled in Torn's favor and Hopper was required to pay another US$475,000 in punitive damages. According to Newsmeat, Hopper donated US$2,000 to the
Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in ...
in 2004 and an equal amount in 2005. Hopper was honored with the rank of commander of France's National Order of Arts and Letters, at a ceremony in Paris. Despite being a Republican, Hopper supported
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
in the 2008 presidential election. Hopper confirmed this in an
election day Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. In many countries, general elections are always held on a Saturday or Sunday, to enable as many voters as possible to participate; while in other countries elections ...
appearance on the ABC daytime show '' The View''. He said his reason for not voting Republican was the selection of Sarah Palin as the Republican
vice presidential candidate The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice pr ...
.


Divorce from Victoria Duffy

On January 14, 2010, Hopper filed for divorce from his fifth wife Victoria Duffy. After citing her "outrageous conduct" and stating she was "insane", "inhuman" and "volatile", Hopper was granted a restraining order against her on February 11, 2010, and as a result, she was forbidden to come within of him or contact him. On March 9, 2010, Duffy refused to move out of the Hopper home, despite the court's order that she do so by March 15. On March 23, 2010, he filed papers in court alleging Duffy had absconded with US$1.5 million of his art, refused his requests to return it, and then had "left town". On April 5, 2010, a court ruled that Duffy could continue living on Hopper's property, and that he must pay US$12,000 per month spousal and child support for their daughter Galen. Hopper did not attend the hearing. On May 12, 2010, a hearing was held before Judge Amy Pellman in downtown Los Angeles Superior Court. Though Hopper died two weeks later, Duffy insisted at the hearing that he was well enough to be deposed. The hearing also dealt with who would be the beneficiary on Hopper's life insurance policy, which listed his wife as a beneficiary. A very ill Hopper did not appear in court though his estranged wife did. Despite Duffy's bid to be named the sole beneficiary of Hopper's million-dollar policy, the judge ruled against her and limited her claim to one-quarter of the policy. The remaining US$750,000 was to go to his estate. On November 14, 2010, it was revealed that, despite Duffy's earlier assertion in her court papers of February 2010 that Hopper was mentally incompetent and that his children had rewritten his estate plan in order to leave Duffy and her daughter, Hopper's youngest child Galen, destitute, Galen would in fact receive the proceeds of 40% of his estate.


Illness and death

On September 28, 2009, Hopper, then 73, was reportedly taken by ambulance to an unidentified Manhattan hospital wearing an oxygen mask and "with numerous tubes visible". On October 2, he was discharged after receiving treatment for dehydration. On October 29, 2009, Hopper's manager Sam Maydew reported that he had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. In January 2010, it was reported that Hopper's cancer had metastasized to his bones. On March 18, 2010, he was honored with the 2,403rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre Grauman's Egyptian Theatre is a historic movie theater located at 6706 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, California. Opened in 1922, it is an early example of a lavish movie palace and is noted as having been the site of the first-ever Hollywood ...
on Hollywood Boulevard. Surrounded by family, fans, and friends—including Jack Nicholson,
Viggo Mortensen Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. R (; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor, writer, director, producer, musician, and multimedia artist. Born and raised in the State of New York to a Danish father and American mother, he also lived in Argenti ...
, David Lynch, and Michael Madsen—he attended its addition to the sidewalk six days later. By March 2010, Hopper reportedly weighed only and was unable to carry on long conversations. According to papers filed in his divorce court case, Hopper was terminally ill and was unable to undergo
chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemother ...
to treat his prostate cancer. Hopper died at his home in the coastal
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
district of Los Angeles, just 12 days after his 74th birthday on the morning of May 29, 2010. His funeral took place on June 3, 2010, at San Francisco de Asis Mission Church in
Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico Ranchos de Taos is a census-designated place (CDP) in Taos County, New Mexico. The population was 2,390 at the time of the 2000 census. The historic district is the Ranchos de Taos Plaza, which includes the San Francisco de Asis Mission Chu ...
. His body was buried at the Jesus Nazareno Cemetery in Ranchos de Taos. The film '' Alpha and Omega'', which was among his last film roles, was dedicated to him, as was the 2011 film ''
Restless Restless may refer to: *Psychomotor agitation, restlessness experienced as a result of certain medications or conditions Music * Restless Records Albums * ''Restless'' (Sara Evans album) and its title track, 2003 * ''Restless'' (Murray He ...
'', which starred his son Henry Hopper.


Notable filmography

* '' Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955) as Goon * ''Giant'' (1956) as Jordan Benedict III * ''Gunfight at the O.K. Corral'' (1957) as Billy Clanton * '' Night Tide'' (1961) as Johnny Drake * '' The Sons of Katie Elder'' (1965) as Dave Hastings * '' Cool Hand Luke'' (1967) as Babalugats * '' Easy Rider'' (1969) as Billy – Also writer-director * ''True Grit'' (1969) as Moon * '' The Last Movie'' (1971) as Kansas – Also writer-director * '' Mad Dog Morgan'' * '' Kid Blue'' (1973) (1976) as Daniel Morgan * ''
The American Friend ''The American Friend'' (german: Der amerikanische Freund) is a 1977 neo-noir film by Wim Wenders, adapted from the 1974 novel '' Ripley's Game'' by Patricia Highsmith. The film features Dennis Hopper as career criminal Tom Ripley and Bruno Ganz a ...
'' (1977) as Tom Ripley * '' Apocalypse Now'' (1979) as The Photojournalist * ''Out of the Blue'' (1980) as Don – Also director * '' The Osterman Weekend'' (1983) as Richard Tremayne * '' Rumble Fish'' (1983) as Father * '' The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2'' (1986) as Lefty Enright * ''Blue Velvet'' (1986) as Frank Booth * ''Hoosiers'' (1986) as Shooter * ''Colors'' (1988) – As director * ''
Catchfire ''Catchfire'' is a 1990 American romantic action thriller film directed by Dennis Hopper and starring Jodie Foster, Hopper, Fred Ward and Vincent Price, with cameo appearances by several notable actors, including Charlie Sheen, Joe Pesci, Cathe ...
'' (1990) as Milo – Also director * '' The Indian Runner'' (1991) as Caesar * ''Super Mario Bros.'' (1993) as King Koopa * '' True Romance'' (1993) as Clifford Worley * ''Speed'' (1994) as Howard Payne * '' Waterworld'' (1995) as Deacon * ''
Carried Away (1996 film) ''Carried Away'' (also known as ''Acts of Love'') is a 1996 American English language film directed by Brazilian Bruno Barreto. It is based on the novel ''Farmer'' by Jim Harrison. The film stars Dennis Hopper, Amy Irving (Barreto's then wife), G ...
'' (1996) as Joseph Svenden * ''Basquiat'' (1996) as Bruno Bischofberger * ''
EDtv ''EDtv'' is a 1999 American satirical comedy film directed by Ron Howard. An adaptation of the Quebecois film '' Louis 19, King of the Airwaves (Louis 19, le roi des ondes)'' (1994), it stars Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrels ...
'' (1999) as Hank Pekumy * ''
Land of the Dead ''Land of the Dead'' (also known as ''George A. Romero's Land of the Dead'') is a 2005 post-apocalyptic horror film written and directed by George A. Romero; the fourth of Romero's six '' Living Dead'' movies, it is preceded by ''Night of the L ...
'' (2005) as Kaufman * ''Elegy'' (2008) as George O'Hearn * '' Palermo Shooting'' (2008) as Frank * ''
The Other Side of the Wind ''The Other Side of the Wind'' is a 2018 satirical drama film, directed, co-written, co-produced and co-edited by Orson Welles, and posthumously released in 2018 after forty-eight years in development. The film stars John Huston, Bob Random, P ...
'' (2018) as Himself


Other works


Books

* ''Dennis Hopper: Out of the Sixties'', Twelvetrees Press (1986) * ''1712 North Crescent Heights'', Greybull Press (2001) * ''Dennis Hopper: A System of Moments'', Hartje Cantz (2001) * '' Dennis Hopper: Photographs, 1961–1967'', Taschen (2009) * ''Dennis Hopper: The Lost Album'', Prestel Verlag (2014) * ''Dennis Hopper: Drugstore Camera'', Damiani (2015) * ''Dennis Hopper: Colors, the Polaroids'', Damiani (2016) * ''Dennis Hopper: In Dreams: Scenes from the Archives'', Damiani (2019)


Exhibitions

* Solo exhibition of assemblages, Primus-Stuart Gallery, Los Angeles (1963) * ''Los Angeles Now'' group exhibition, Robert Fraser Gallery, London (1966) * ''Bomb Drop'', Pasadena Art Museum, Pasadena (1968) * ''Dennis Hopper: Black and White Photographs'', Fort Worth Museum of Art, Fort Worth (1970) * ''Dennis Hopper: Black and White Photographs'', Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (1971) * ''Dennis Hopper and Ed Ruscha'', Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York (1992) * ''Dennis Hopper: A System of Moments'', Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna (2001) * ''Dennis Hopper: Double Standard'', Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles (2010) * ''The Lost Album'', Gagosian, New York (2013) * ''The Lost Album'', Royal Academy of Arts, London (2014)


Archive

The moving image collection of Dennis Hopper is held at the Academy Film Archive. The Dennis Hopper Trust Collection represents Hopper's directorial efforts.


Awards and nominations


References


Bibliography

* "Dennis Hopper, Riding High", ''Playboy'' (Chicago), Dec. 1969 * Interview with G. O'Brien and M. Netter, in ''Inter/View'' (New York), Feb. 1972 * Interview in ''Cahiers du Cinéma'' (Paris), July–August 1980 * "How Far to the Last Movie?", ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' (London) Oct. 1982 * "Citizen Hopper", interview with C. Hodenfield, in ''Film Comment'' (New York) Nov/Dec. 1986 * Interview with B. Kelly, in ''American Film'' (Los Angeles) March 1988 * Interview with David Denicolo, in ''Interview'' (New York), Feb. 1990 * "Sean Penn", interview with Julian Schnabel and Dennis Hopper, ''Interview'' (New York) Sept. 1991 * "Gary Oldman", in ''Interview'' (New York), Jan. 1992


Further reading

;Books * Biskind, Peter. ''Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood'', Simon and Schuster (1999) * Hoberman, J. ''Dennis Hopper: From Method to Madness'', Walker Art Center (1988) * Krull, Craig. "Photographing the LA Art Scene: 1955–1975", Craig Krull Gallery (1996) * Rodriguez, Elean. ''Dennis Hopper: A Madness to his Method'', St. Martin's Press (1988) * ''Dennis Hopper: Photographs 1961–1967'', Taschen (2011) * Winkler, Peter L. "Dennis Hopper: The Wild Ride of a Hollywood Rebel", Barricade Books (2011) * Folsom, Tom. "Hopper: A Journey into the American Dream", It Books/HarperCollins (2013) * Rozzo, Mark "Everybody Thought We Were Crazy" Harper Collins (2022) ;Articles * Algar, N., "Hopper at Birmingham", in ''Sight and Sound'' (London), Summer 1982 * Burke, Tom, "Dennis Hopper Saves the Movies", in ''Esquire'' (New York), Dec. 1970 * Burns, Dan E., "Dennis Hopper's ''The Last Movie'': Beginning of the End", in ''Literature/Film Quarterly'', 1979 * Herring, H. D., "Out of the Dream and into the Nightmare: Dennis Hopper's Apocalyptic Vision of America", in ''Journal of Popular Film'' (Washington, D.C.), Winter 1983 * * Macklin, F. A., "Easy Rider: The Initiation of Dennis Hopper", in ''Film Heritage'' (Dayton, Ohio), Fall 1969 * Martin, A., "Dennis Hopper: Out of the Blue and into the Black", in ''Cinema Papers'' (Melbourne), July 1987 * Scharres, B., "From Out of the Blue: The Return of Dennis Hopper" in ''Journal of the University Film and Video Assoc.'' (Carbondale, IL), Spring 1983 * Weber, Bruce, "A Wild Man is Mellowing, Albeit Not on Screen", in ''New York Times'', September 8, 1994


External links


Dennis Hopper 1986 interview on KVUE
about Colors from Texas Archive of the Moving Image * * * *
Dennis Hopper Exhibition History

Dennis Hopper: Life & Times
– slideshow by ''
Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy ...
'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Hopper, Dennis 1936 births 2010 deaths American male film actors American male screenwriters American male television actors Film directors from California Film directors from Missouri Male actors from Greater Los Angeles Male actors from San Diego Photographers from California American people of Scottish descent American people of Welsh descent Kansas Republicans Deaths from cancer in California American male voice actors Deaths from prostate cancer Kansas City Art Institute alumni People from Dodge City, Kansas Male actors from Kansas City, Missouri People from Taos, New Mexico People from Topanga, California 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors 20th-century American writers Writers from Kansas City, Missouri Male actors from Kansas Film directors from New Mexico Film directors from Kansas Screenwriters from California Screenwriters from New Mexico California Republicans People from Bel Air, Los Angeles Method actors