Dennis Hopper
Key figure of New Hollywood; actor, director, photographer.
Dennis Lee Hopper was born in Dodge City, Kansas, in 1936, and grew up in Kansas City and San Diego. As a teenager, he studied acting at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and later at the Actors Studio in New York under Lee Strasberg. His early film appearances included two of James Dean’s most famous movies, *Rebel Without a Cause* and *Giant*, and he went on to play supporting roles in Westerns and dramas such as *Gunfight at the O.K. Corral*, *Cool Hand Luke*, and *True Grit*. Hopper’s career nearly ended after a notorious clash with director Henry Hathaway on *From Hell to Texas*, but John Wayne helped revive it by casting him in *The Sons of Katie Elder*.
Hopper made his directorial debut with *Easy Rider* (1969), which he also co-wrote and starred in alongside Peter Fonda. The film won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Debut and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. He also began a prolific photography career in the 1960s. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Hopper became known for playing disturbed outsiders in films like *Apocalypse Now*, *Blue Velvet*, and *Rumble Fish*. He received a second Academy Award nomination, for Best Supporting Actor, for his role in *Hoosiers* (1986). His later notable film roles included *Speed*, *True Romance*, and *Waterworld*. He also directed several features, including *The Last Movie*, *Out of the Blue*, *Colors*, and *The Hot Spot*. For television, he earned an Emmy nomination for his lead role in *Paris Trout* and appeared in series such as *24* and *Crash*. Hopper died in 2010 at age 74.
- born
- May 17, 1936, Dodge City, Kansas
- died
- May 29, 2010
- field
- Actor, filmmaker, photographer, visual artist
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Easy Rider (1969), Blue Velvet (1986), Hoosiers (1986)
Lore & Background
Hopper studied acting at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and the Actors Studio in New York. He made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in two of the films that made James Dean famous, Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956). He then played supporting roles in films such as Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), Cool Hand Luke (1967), Hang 'Em High (1968) and True Grit (1969). 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 Award for Best Debut, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. He also began a prolific and acclaimed photography career in the 1960s.
He became frequently typecast as mentally disturbed outsiders and rebels in such films as Mad Dog Morgan (1976), The American Friend (1977), Apocalypse Now (1979), Rumble Fish (1983), and Blue Velvet (1986). He received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in Hoosiers (1986). His later film roles included True Romance (1993), Speed (1994), Waterworld (1995) and Elegy (2009). He appeared posthumously in the long-delayed The Other Side of the Wind (2018), which had previously been filmed in the early 1970s. Other directorial credits for Hopper include The Last Movie (1971), Out of the Blue (1980), Colors (1988), and The Hot Spot (1990).
Reader's Guide
Dennis Hopper's significance lies in his role as a defining figure of the New Hollywood era, particularly through his directorial debut Easy Rider, which captured the counterculture spirit of the 1960s and won a Cannes award. His career was marked by a reputation for playing mentally disturbed outsiders and rebels, earning him critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for Hoosiers. Despite early career setbacks due to conflicts with directors, he revived his career with John Wayne's help and later became a respected photographer. His legacy includes influencing independent filmmaking and leaving a body of work that spans acting, directing, and visual art, with posthumous appearances underscoring his enduring impact.
Did You Know?
- Hopper studied acting at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and the Actors Studio in New York.
- He earned a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Debut for Easy Rider (1969).
- He received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in Hoosiers (1986).
- Hopper appeared posthumously in The Other Side of the Wind (2018), filmed in the early 1970s.
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