Vale: Dennis Hopper
Hollywood bad boy Dennis Hopper, has died after a battle with prostate cancer, aged 74.
- Published by David Knox
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Dennis Hopper, the Oscar-winning acting legend and quirky artist, died on Saturday in suburban Los Angeles after a battle with prostate cancer. He was 74.
Known as one of cinema’s bad boys, Hopper’s acting career was long and varied, full of off-beat and interesting roles, from highs like Apocalypse Now, Rebel Without a Cause, and Hoosiers, to critical lows like The Last Movie and An American Carol, in which he flaunted his later-life Republicanism.
His breakout came with Oscar-nominated Easy Rider, the low-budget motorcycle flick that he wrote, directed and edited, and which perfectly captured the 1969 zeitgeist. But arguably his most memorable role was playing Frank Booth, the addict and sadist in David Lynch’s 1986 film, Blue Velvet.
As a painter, sculptor and photographer, he showed his art all over the world. He was due to visit Melbourne late last year for a salute to his work at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image but cancelled due to his developing illness.
In television his roles were predominantly early in his career: 24, E-Ring, Flatland, Bonanza, The Defenders, The Twilight Zone, Surfside 6, Studio One, Cheyenne, Petticoat Junction, The Time Tunnel, Combat!
He recently starred in an ongoing role in the small screen version of Crash, currently screening on the Showcase channel.
Source: Newsweek
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- Tagged with 24, Academy Awards, Bonanza, Cheyenne, Combat!, Crash, E-Ring, Flatland, Petticoat Junction, Studio One, Surfside 6, The Defenders, The Time Tunnel, The Twilight Zone
14 Responses
Watch him and Walken in the “Sicilian Scene” in True Romance. they dominate the movie in their short time on screen together.
@Rusty Boyd: you do realise you have to pay for the star? Maybe he didn’t see the point and refused.
RIP Dennis
Speaking of the movie Speed, Ten will repeat it next Saturday night, before or after AFL depending on city. It was scheduled before Dennis’s death.
I know someone who did his make up for one of his movies. They said even though he was hanging in a uncomfortable harness. For quite a while. He never complained and was always friendly.
Loved his comment when asked about his marriage to Michelle Phillips that lasted 8 days…..’The first seven were pretty good’.And another quote sort of sums up his death…’I had final cut, they wanted me to re-edit it, I refused’.
King Koopa is dead. Long live the King.
Not afraid to push the boundaries, not afraid to express his views. A rare talent who has left a grateful fanbase with an exceptional body of work.
*Raises a Pabst Blue Ribbon to the great one*
RIP. The man had talent. Loved him in E-Ring and Crash. Easy Rider was a brilliant movie.
Very sad news.
And why it took so long to give him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame(2010), I’ll never know. Considering The Simpsons were given one a decade ago.
so sad….such a great actor.
R.I.P Dennis Hopper.
This is truly sad news. Dennis was the epitome of a successful 70’s Hollywood actor…
Whilst I’ve thoroughly enjoyed him recently in Crash, and have since seen many of his outstanding performances, my first exposure to him was in Speed in 1994 – a very memorable role.
Another legend gone :[ rip