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Re: RIP Dennis Hopper
May 29, 2010, 2:56 pm
Dennis Hopper, Actor and Iconoclast, Has Died
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
Dennis HopperEverett Collection Dennis Hopper, in the film 'Easy Rider,' which he directed, edited and starred in.
Dennis Hopper, whose portrayals of drug-addled, often deranged misfits in the landmark films 'Easy Rider,' 'Apocalypse Now' and 'Blue Velvet' drew on his early out-of-control experiences as part of a new generation of Hollywood rebel, died at his home in Venice, Calif., on Saturday, The Associated Press reported. He was 74.
The death was announced by Alex Hitz, a family friend, according to The A.P. A cause of death was not immediately given, but Mr. Hopper was recently being treated for prostate cancer.
Mr. Hopper, who said he stopped drinking and using drugs in the mid-1980s, followed that change with a tireless phase of his career in which he claimed to have turned down no parts. His credits include at least six films released in 2008 and at least 25 over the past 10 years.
Most recently, Mr. Hopper starred in the television series 'Crash,' an adaptation of the Oscar-winning film of the same title. Produced for the Starz cable channel, the show had Mr. Hopper portraying a music producer unhinged by years of drug use. During a promotional tour last fall for that series, he fell ill; shortly thereafter, he began a new round of treatments for prostate cancer, which he said was first diagnosed a decade ago.
Inverting a famous line of dialogue spoken by Peter Fonda in 'Easy Rider,' Manohla Dargis wrote of Mr. Hopper in The New York Times:
Dennis Hopper '” actor, filmmaker, photographer, art collector, world-class burnout, first-rate survivor '” never blew it. Unlike the villains and freaks he has played over the decades '” the psycho with the mommy complex in 'Blue Velvet,' the mad bomber with the grudge in 'Speed' '” he has made it through the good, the bad and some spectacularly terrible times. He rode out the golden age of Hollywood by roaring into a new movie era with 'Easy Rider.' He hung out with James Dean, played Elizabeth Taylor'™s son, acted for Quentin Tarantino. He has been rich and infamous, lost and found, the next big thing, the last man standing.
An obituary article will follow at nytimes.com.
Re: RIP Dennis Hopper
DEATH WATCH 2010 continues...
Dennis Hopper at Age 74
'Easy Rider' Actor, Writer, Director had been battling prostate cancer
By: ABC News
Dennis Hopper, the director, star and co-writer of "Easy Rider" and an edgy actor in numerous other films, has died at age 74 after a lengthy illness, his production company Easy Rider Productions confirmed.
American actor and director Dennis Hopper looks on during press conference at the Cinematheque Francaise in Paris in October 2008. Hopper has died at age 74.
(Michel Euler/AP Photo)Hopper died at 8:15 a.m. PT at his home in Venice, Calif., from complications of prostate cancer, a friend, Alex Hitz, told the Reuters news service.
Though he may be best known for "Easy Rider," the 1969 cult classic, Hopper's film and television career extended back into the 1950s and he stayed active up until the illness preceding his death.
He also was considered something of a Hollywood wild man, whose battles with drugs, alcohol and erratic behavior may have helped stall his career in the 1970s and early 1980s.
But he came back in a big way in films such as "Apocalypse Now" (1979), "Rumble Fish" (1983) and "Blue Velvet" (1986).
Despite his declining condition in recent months, Hopper recently appeared in Hollywood to receive a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in March. Surrounded by his children and colleagues, the actor appeared to be in good spirits, smiling, laughing and waving.
"Everything I learned in life I learned from you," he told a crowd of supporters at the star ceremony, referring to Hollywood. "This means so much to me. Thank you very much everyone, and Hollywood."
By the time of his death, Hopper also had become well known for his paintings and photography, as well as an avid collector of art.
However, Hopper's final days were marked by his bitter divorce battle, in which he claimed his estranged wife stole valuable artwork and other property and kept him away from their 6-year-old daughter, Galen.
In a March statement, Hopper claimed Duffy-Hopper stole valuable artwork and other property, including silver flatware, Egyptian cotton linens, Venetian glass pieces and wood furniture from Africa, with a total worth of more than $1.5 million.
The month before, Hopper filed court papers claiming Duffy-Hopper hid Galen from him for long periods of time. He said he spent Christmas "in utter distress" after Duffy-Hopper took Galen to Boston, a trip he learned about from her attorney.
She, meanwhile, accused him of being verbally abusive and mentally incapable of making decisions for himself or in the best interests of Galen.
In his final days, Hopper made financial arrangements for his estranged wife and family. According to court documents filed in March, Duffy-Hopper will receive $250,000 from her late husband's $1 million life insurance policy and the balance will go to his estate. Hopper also arranged for Galen and his three other adult children from previous marriages to receive a "substantial portion" of the insurance. His will remains to be seen.
Thoughout his life, the actor dealt with marital woes. In 1970, he wed Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and Papas -- but their union lasted a grand total of eight days. Phillips later told Vanity Fair that she was subjected to "excruciating" treatment while with the actor.
The Kansas-born Hopper had a colorful career in Hollywood. The 1969 film "Easy Rider," which Hopper wrote, directed and starred in, made him a major player in Hollywood.
"It was a movie that, it was a classic, almost an immediate classic, and people went to see it and people came back to the theater and saw movies again, so it was quite remarkable," Hopper told ABC News entertainment correspondent Bill Diehl.
Before "Easy Rider," Hopper had acted alongside James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Giant."
He received two Oscar nominations during his career, one for writing "Easy Rider" along with co-star Peter Fonda and Terry Southern, and the other for playing an alcoholic high-school basketball coach in the 1986 film "Hoosiers."
"It's just inspirational," Hopper once said of "Hoosiers" in an American Film Institute interview. "I have so many coaches come to me and so many players. ... They're all watching 'Hoosiers' suddenly. And it's the first time in my career, because I've played so many villains, that little kids come up to me and call me coach."
Hopper's more recent work included a major role in the TV series "Crash."
Asked in a 1990 interview about being called a Hollywood legend, Hopper told Diehl, "I guess if I really stop and think about it, which I try not to do, I guess I've known a lot of people. I've been very lucky to be in a lot of places, and I guess there's an old adage: 'If you just live long enough ...'"
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One of the true great Hollywood actors. This guy embodied everything we think of, of the cliched, take on the world, old school Hollywood actor. He was crazy as hell, but it made him great.
RIP "Lefty"
Re: RIP Dennis Hopper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm_CEmybOjc
easy rider...his baby, GREAT part....Dennis just chillin'...Jack off the cuff.
Re: RIP Dennis Hopper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm_CEmybOjc
easy rider...his baby, GREAT part....Dennis just chillin'...Jack off the cuff.
Classic, classic scene.
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