Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors’ Studio. Hopper’s later work included a leading role in the television series Crash. Hopper was also a prolific and acclaimed photographer, a profession he began in the 1960s.Hopper was born in Dodge City, Kansas, the son of Marjorie Mae and Jay Millard Hopper. In 1959 Hopper moved to New York to study Method acting under Lee Strasberg at the Actor’s Studio.
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. Hopper struck up a friendship with actor Vincent Price, whose passion for art influenced Hopper’s interest in art. Hopper refused directions for eighty takes over several days.
In a December 1994 interview on the Charlie Rose Show, Hopper credited John Wayne 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. This role enabled Hopper to begin making movies again.
Hopper had a supporting role as “Babalugats,” the bet-taker in Cool Hand Luke (1967). Hopper acted in mainstream films including The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) and True Grit (1969). Both of these films starred John Wayne, and in both Hopper’s character are killed. In 1969, Hopper teamed with Peter Fonda, Terry Southern and Jack Nicholson to make Easy Rider. Hopper won wide acclaim as the director for his improvisational methods and innovative editing. In 1971, Hopper released The Last Movie. After reading the script, Hopper called Lynch and told him “You have to let me play Frank Booth. In 1988, Hopper directed the critically acclaimed Colors. In 1995, Hopper played a greedy TV self help guru, Dr. Luther Waxling in Search and Destroy. Hopper debuted in an episode of the Richard Boone television series Medic in 1955, portraying a young epileptic.
Hopper teamed with Nike in the early 1990s to make a series of television commercials. Hopper appeared in all 22 episodes that were filmed. Hopper became a prolific photographer, and noted writer Terry Southern profiled Hopper in Better Homes and Gardens magazine as an up and coming photographer “to watch” in the mid 1960s. 1999, actor 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 Turn’s suit, it was actually Hopper who pulled the knife on him. A judge ruled in Turn’s favor and Hopper was ordered to pay US$475,000 in damages. Hopper then appealed but the judge again ruled in Turn’s favor and Hopper was required to pay another US$475,000 in punitive damages.
In 2008, Hopper starred in An American Carol, an anti-agitprop comedy, with Jon Vought, Kelsey Grammer and James Woods. At the time of his death, Hopper was living in Venice, California, and owned property in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Hopper supported Barack Obama in the 2008 US Presidential election. Hopper confirmed this in an Election Day appearance on the ABC daytime show The View. On March 23, 2010, Hopper filed papers in court alleging Duffy had absconded with $1.5 million of his art, refused his requests to return it, and then had “left town”. In March 2010, a judge ruled that Duffy must stay at least 10 feet away from Hopper. On October 29, Hopper’s manager reported that Hopper had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. In January 2010, it was reported that Hopper’s cancer had metastasized to his bones.
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