Dennis Hopper dead at 74: A look at his life and work

Actor Dennis Hopper passed away today at his home in Venice Beach, California. He was 74. For over a decade, he had been stricken with prostate cancer. Born in the old west town of Dodge City, Kansas, he was only 19 when he made his acting debut in 1955, alongside James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause, playing a character named Goon.

He quickly earned a reputation for being stubborn. On the set of True Grit, John Wayne got so mad, he chased Hopper with a loaded gun. His most famous role was the smash hit Easy Rider in 1969, which he both directed and starred in, alongside Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson. It’s still regarded as one of America’s finest films, introducing sex, drugs, and long-haired motorcycle riders onscreen. The low budget film earned 40 million dollars worldwide.

After that, he retreated away from Hollywood for almost a decade, getting a few acting roles in Europe. Once again, he made a comeback playing a drugged-out journalist in Apocalypse Now, filmed in 1979.

In the 1980s, a clean and sober Hopper continued memorable roles, such as in Blue Velvet and Hoosiers, where his sad alcoholic role won an Oscar nomination. He also starred with Sandra Bullock in Speed.

Throughout his career he went through bouts of alcohol and drug abuse, and his personal life was marked by psychotic episodes and divorces. Even near death, he was going through a divorce with his fifth wife. He leaves behind four children.