Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, director and writer, known for working in and pioneering the New Hollywood era.
Born in Dodge City, Kansas, Hopper began his career in bit parts on various television shows and had small roles in the James Dean films Rebel Without a Cause and Giant, but it was his role in Easy Rider, which he also directed, that catapulted him into stardom. He was then able to spin this initial success into long and prosperous career in Hollywood.
His career was punctuated by a lengthy history of drug abuse, which he finally overcame in 1983, and troubled relationships with women (one of his wives divorced him after one week of marriage). Hopper was also infamous for playing King 'Bowser' Koopa in the critically panned Super Mario Bros. (1993), a move Hopper credited with ruining his career.
He made a cameo on the Gorillaz album Demon Days (Album) where he read the story during "Fire Coming Out Of The Monkey's Head".
Hopper passed away from prostate cancer on May 29th 2010, 12 days after his 74th birthday.
Works on this wiki:
- Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
- Giant (1956)
- Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)
- Sayonara (1957) — uncredited bit part
- Night Tide (1961)
- The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
- The Trip (1967)
- Cool Hand Luke (1967)
- Head (1968) — uncredited bit part
- Hang 'Em High (1968)
- Panic in the City (1968) — bit part
- True Grit (1969)
- Easy Rider (1969) — also co-wrote and directed
- The Last Movie (1970) — also wrote and directed
- Mad Dog Morgan (1976)
- The American Friend (1977)
- Apocalypse Now (1979)
- Out of the Blue (1980) — also directed
- Rumble Fish (1983)
- The Osterman Weekend (1983)
- My Science Project (1985)
- River's Edge (1986)
- Blue Velvet (1986) — "PABST BLUE RIBBON!"
- Space Truckers (1986)
- Black Widow (1987)
- Hoosiers (1987)
- Straight to Hell (1987)
- Colors (1988) — director only
- Flashback (1990)
- Super Mario Bros. (1993)
- Red Rock West (1993)
- True Romance (1993)
- Speed (1994)
- Waterworld (1995)
- Basquiat (1996)
- Knockaround Guys (2001)
- Ticker (2001)
- 24 (2002) — only in the first season
- Demon Days (Album) (2005) — appears on the track "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head"
- Land of the Dead (2005)
- House of 9 (2005)
- E-Ring (2005)
- Hoboken Hollow (2006)
- An American Carol (2008)
- Swing Vote (2008)
- Deadly Creatures (2009)
- Alpha and Omega (2010) — voice only
- The Other Side of the Wind (2018)
