Dennis Hopper

His 1970 marriage to Michelle Phillips lasted just a few days, during his wild and woolly, drug-fueled period. She also appears briefly in The Last Movie , Hoppers almost-disastrously appropriately entitled solo directorial effort, following Easy Rider . At one point in this era, Hopper was arrested after he was found raving, naked. After early success as a child star in theater, his movie career was practically stillborn when Louis B. Mayer banned him from the MGM lot after Hopper responded forcefully, in kind, when the mogul belittled his desire to play Shakespearen roles.

His house in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, is a radical architectural statement.

(October 1997) Ranked #87 in Empire magazines "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.

(14 March 1997) Reported that Rip Torn has won a $475,000 defamation suit against Hopper. Lawsuit came about after remarks made by Hopper on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on 31 May 1994.

Dennis Hopper married Victoria Duffy in Boston, at the Old South Church.

Lamenting to an audience Q & A in Sydney that he had "never had any great roles", Hopper nominated Splendor in the Grass as the one he most wished hed been given.

Belongs to the Top 100 collectors of modern art.

Had his photography exhibited at Fort Worth, Denver, Wichita, Cochran, and Spileto art museums, as well as the Parco Gallery and in the cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Kumatomo, Japan.

As a youngster in Kansas City, he took classes taught by legendary painter Thomas Hart Benton, who told him: "One day youll learn to get tight, and paint loose.".

After his run-in with director Henry Hathaway , was blackballed from major Hollywood feature film roles from 1958 until 1965, during which time he was busy working on television.

1 September 2000 - A Canadian judge dismissed marijuana charges against Hopper stemming from an October 1999 arrest in Calgary.

Father of Marin Hopper , born June 26, 1962, with Brooke Hayward.

In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 , he says "Boys, boys, boys." when he first meets Leatherface and the Sawyer family. Hopper says the exact same thing when he first meets the heroes in Super Mario Bros. .

Dennis and Victoria Duffy Hoppers first child, daughter Galen Grier Hopper, was born on March 26, 2003 in Los Angeles, California.

His parents are Jay and Marjorie Hopper. His father died in 1982 and his mother remarried.

Graduate of Helix High School, La Mesa, California. Class of 1954, which voted him "Most Likely to Succeed".

Hopper is quoted in the book "Marilyn Beck s Hollywood" as saying that the Manson Massacre of Sharon Tate and friends was the backlash from a sex and drugs party the week previously, in which a drug dealer was tied up and whipped before a crowd for selling "bad dope" to the residents of 10050 Cielo Drive. As can be seen by Rip Torn s success in prosecuting a defamation suit against Hopper in the 1990s, he is not the most reliable witness to history.

James Dean learned he had an interest in photography when they worked together, and encouraged him to pursue it as an alternative to just being an actor. Hopper published a book of photos in the late 1980s, including pictures of stars he had known, and thanked Dean.

Is portrayed by Jarrod Dean in The Mystery of Natalie Wood .

Provided the narration for the Gorillaz song "Fire Coming Out of the Monkeys Head".

Member of the United States Republican Party.

Thinks that James Dean is the best actor he ever worked with since he met him on the set of Rebel Without a Cause .

His performance as Frank Booth in Blue Velvet is ranked #54 on Premiere Magazines 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Has a son, with Katherine LaNasa , named Henry Hopper , born on September 1990.

Father of Ruthanna Hopper with Daria Halprin.

His acting career has taken him all over the world, and to date he has filmed movies in over 22 countries. (May 2007).

Despite his Republican affiliations, he intentionally parodied Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld while playing the greedy, racist villain, Mr. Kaufman in Land of the Dead . He also endorsed and voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 election, and criticized the selection of Sarah Palin on the Republican ticket.

Alumni of the Lee Strasberg Institute.

He thinks that the worst movie that he has ever done was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 .

Was due to appear in the "Doctor Who" 2007 Christmas special, "Doctor Who" {Voyage of the Damned (#4.0)} , guest starring along with Kylie Minogue. However, Hopper was not available for long enough, so the part had to be recast. Clive Swift , eventually, took on Hoppers intended role, "Mr. Copper". He was also considered for the Master in Doctor Who .

In 1999, he, his young son, Henry, and two buddies were in Jamaica, heading to a golf course to play a few holes. As they drove through a small village, a speeding truck barreled head-on into their car. Hoppers friends were badly injured in the crash -- broken legs, head traumas -- but Hopper climbed out of the passenger seat without a scratch. He pulled Henry, then 10 years old, from the backseat, covered in splattered blood, also eerily unhurt. "At that point, I really thought, maybe there is a force looking out for me, because I cant figure out how we survived," Hopper said.

Rushed to a New York City hospital with flu-like symptoms on September 30, 2009.

On 29 October 2009, he revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2002.

Hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles shortly before Christmas 2009.

Lives in Venice, California.

Received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on March 26, 2010.

Was in the process of divorcing Victoria Duffy at the time of his death. He filed for divorce in January 2010.

His personal assistant accused Victoria Duffy of trying to kill Hopper during their legal divorce proceedings in 2010.

Was laid to rest in Ranchos De Taos, New Mexico on June 2, 2010. His son, Henry Hopper read from Walt Whitman s "Leaves of Grass" and the funeral was attended by Jack Nicholson , Peter Fonda and Val Kilmer.

One of three cast members of the film Rebel Without a Cause to have died within the first six months of 2010. He was followed in death by castmates Corey Allen and was predeceased by Steffi Sidney.

Buried in Taos, New Mexico.

Uncle of Tiffany L. Hopper (aka Tiffany Lee Hopper).

Died 10 days after his 74th birthday.

After Deans death, Hoppers studio tried to brand him as "the next James Dean ".

Directed one Oscar nominated performance: Jack Nicholson in Easy Rider .

Turned down the role of Bob Pidgeon in My Own Private Idaho .

Was considered for the role of Professor Zaroff in Flash Gordon .

Was originally cast as Steiner in The Truman Show , but dropped out due to creative differences. Ed Harris replaced him.

Was considered for the role of Julius "Jake" Berman in The Two Jakes .

Was the first choice for the role of Bud in Repo Man , but the studio didnt want him because of his erratic reputation. Harry Dean Stanton got the part.

Turned down the role of Jack Moony in Heart Condition .

Was originally cast as Hank Weldon in "Miami Vice" {Out Where the Buses Dont Run (#2.3)} , but dropped out due to a salary dispute. Bruce McGill got the part.

Was considered for the role of Harry Block in Deconstructing Harry .

Was offered the role of Mr. Pink in Reservoir Dogs by Quentin Tarantino and Harvey Keitel , but was unavailable.

When Sean Penn was attached to star in Barfly , he wanted Hopper to direct the film. However, Charles Bukowski had written the screenplay for Barbet Schroeder , who had filmed him for French TV years before, and would not surrender it to Hopper, whom he despised as a gold-chain-wearing Hollywood phony.

President of the Official Competition jury at the 49th Venice International Film Festival in 1992 (together with director Jiri Menzel).

He is mentioned in Shawn Mullins "Lullaby.".

He was offered the role of Brice Phelps in The End of Violence , but was unavailable. Daniel Benzali was cast instead.

He created the cover art for the Ike & Tina Turner single "River Deep - Mountain High" (released in 1966).

In the late 1980s Hopper purchased a trio of nearly identical two-story, loft-style condominiums at 330 Indiana Avenue in Venice Beach, California - one made of concrete, one of plywood, and one of green roofing shingles - built by Frank Gehry and two artist friends of Hoppers, Chuck Arnoldi and Laddie John Dill, in 1981. In 1987, he commissioned an industrial-style main residence, with a corrugated metal exterior designed by Brian Murphy, as a place to display his artwork.

In his book "Last Train to Memphis", American popular music historian Peter Guralnick says that in 1956, when Elvis Presley was making his first film in Hollywood, Hopper was roommates with fellow actor Nick Adams and the three became friends and socialized together.

According to Newsmeat, Hopper donated US$2,000 to the Republican National Committee in 2004 and an equal amount in 2005.

He was considered to play Tony in West Side Story .

After staging a "suicide attempt" (really more of a daredevil act) in a coffin using 17 sticks of dynamite during an "art happening" at the Rice University Media Center (filmed by professor and documentary filmmaker Brian Huberman ), and later disappearing into the Mexican desert during a particularly extravagant bender, Hopper entered a drug rehabilitation program in 1983.

Hoppers fascination with art began with painting lessons at the Nelson-Atkins Museum while still a child in Kansas City, Missouri. Early in his career, he painted and wrote poetry, though many of his works were destroyed in a 1961 fire that burned scores of homes, including his, on Stone Canyon Road in Bel Air. His painting style ranges from abstract impressionism to photorealism and often includes references to his cinematic work and to other artists.

He was considered for the role of Arnold Dittmann in Darbys Rangers that went to Edd Byrnes.

He was considered for the role of Humbert Humbert in Lolita that went to Jeremy Irons.

On the Gorillaz album "Demon Days", Hopper narrates the song "Fire Coming out of the Monkeys Head".

He was going to star opposite Jack Nicholson in a film version of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas".

He was considered for the role of Rolling Star in Blueberry that went to Ernest Borgnine.

He was originally cast as Frank in Firecracker but dropped out before the film was made. Steve Balderson said that this was because Hoppers involvement in the film did not result in financing, so he reverted to his "original vision" of having the same actor play the parts of both Frank and David, and Hopper was "forty years too old" to play David.

Hopper was honored with the rank of commander of Frances National Order of Arts and Letters, at a ceremony in Paris.

Hopper has been widely reported to be the godfather of actress Amber Tamblyn ; in a 2009 interview with Parade, Tamblyn explained that "godfather" was "just a loose term" for Hopper, Dean Stockwell and Neil Young , three famous friends of her fathers, who were always around the house when she was growing up, and who were big influences on her life.

He was originally cast as Larry Schecter in Euer Weg fhrt durch die Hlle , but was fired after wandering naked around a village near where the film was shooting. He was replaced by Marjoe Gortner. He later said he had a drug problem at the time and didnt even remember being arrested, let alone being fired from the picture.

[1997]: Like all artists I want to cheat death a little and contribute,something to the next generation.

And Natalie says "O. K.

Honestly, I only used to do cocaine so I could sober up and drink more.

When you play with guns, accidents happen.

It was so over budget.

Seven of those days were pretty good. The eighth day was the bad one. .