On viewing the first release print, fresh from the lab, in his screening room at Universal, MCA founder Jules C. Stein rose from his chair and said, "I just don't understand this younger generation." [42] The proceeds of the two-day sale of some 300 pieces from Hopper's collection at Christie's went to his four children.[43]. Nowhere to be found in this anxious loser. Market data provided by Factset. They had a daughter, Marin, before Hopper's drug-induced violence led to divorce after eight years. In 2011, Barricade Books published film historian Peter L. Winkler's biography, Dennis Hopper: The Wild Ride of a Hollywood Rebel. Hopper, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in October 2009, was surrounded by his children when he died, Victoria Hopper told CNN. In 1990, Dennis Hopper directed The Hot Spot, which was not a box-office hit. Dennis Lee Hopper was born in 1936, in Dodge City, Kan., and spent much of his youth on the nearby farm of his grandparents. Id rather remember the secretive, serious, focused artist who never fully revealed himself to me and maybe never to anyone. He saw his first movie at 5 and became enthralled. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. "He wouldn't hold back with his positive re-enforcement. The establishment gave official blessing in 1998 when "Easy Rider" was included in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. In Taos, I met many people who loathed Hopper, and many who remembered him as their hero and champion and friend. Hopper was unable to capitalize on his Easy Rider success for several years. [62], On April 5, 2010, a court ruled that Duffy could continue living on Hopper's property, and that he must pay US$12,000 per month spousal and child support for their daughter Galen. After a promising start that included roles in two James Dean films, Hopper's acting career had languished as he developed a reputation for throwing tantrums and abusing alcohol and drugs. From there he went to Warner Bros., where he made "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Giant" while in his late teens. And sex. Hopper struck up a friendship with actor Vincent Price, whose passion for art influenced Hopper's interest in art. It was not until after his marriage in 1961 to Brooke Hayward who, as the daughter of Leland Hayward, a producer and agent, and Margaret Sullavan, the actress, was part of Hollywood royalty that Mr. Hopper was regularly offered film roles again. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. A union with actress Daria Halprin also ended in divorce after they had a daughter, Ruthana. Dennis Hopper (May 17, 1936 - May 29, 2010) was an American actor, director, writer, film editor, photographer and artist. He had died in the night of a heart attack. and police moved pretty fast, closing down the Love Ranch South that very day. Hopper became a stereotype for some male youths who rejected traditional jobs and traditional American culture, partly exemplified by Fonda's long sideburns and Hopper wearing shoulder-length hair and a long mustache. Well, the D.A. 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. Hopper was originally cast as Christof in the 1998 Peter Weir film, The Truman Show, but left due to "creative differences". He was especially fond of the plays of William Shakespeare. Hopper died Saturday at his home in the Los Angeles beach community of Venice, surrounded by family and friends, family friend Alex Hitz said. What went down behind those corrugated steel walls of Dennis Hoppers Venice fortress as he lay dying at age 74? 1 on iTunes Charts, 36 songs, no apologies: Morgan Wallen delivers more (much more) of what made him countrys king, Joy Behar kicks off Joys Banned Book Club with gay-penguin tale And Tango Makes Three, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Best coffee city in the world? "[39], Hopper began working as a painter and a poet as well as a collector of art in the 1960s as well, particularly Pop Art. Hollywood actor Dennis Hopper has died after a long bout with prostate cancer, according to reports. [35] During this period he created the cover art for the Ike & Tina Turner album River Deep Mountain High (released in 1966). He married his fifth wife, Victoria Duffy, who was 32 years his junior, in 1996, and they had a daughter, Galen Grier. ", Jocko Sims, who starred opposite Hopper in "Crash," called him a "legend. In 1957 Hopper played thief Abe Larson in another Cheyenne episode titled "The Iron Trail." His last major feature film appearance was in the 2008 film Elegy with Ben Kingsley, Penlope Cruz and Debbie Harry. which lists his cause of death as hepatic (liver) failure and prostate. Hopper added that Kristofferson had written some songs for his Peruvian-shot movie "The Last Movie", in which Kristofferson appeared in his debut role with Julie Adams. After Easy Rider, it was everywhere". Believe it or not, Dennis Hof was running for the Nevada State Legislature. He died before the movie was released. The success of "Easy Rider," and the spectacular failure of his next film, "The Last Movie," fit the pattern for the talented but sometimes uncontrollable actor-director, who also had parts in such favorites as "Apocalypse Now" and "Hoosiers." On 30 September 1970, Hopper appeared on the second episode of season 2 of "The Johnny Cash Show" where he sang a duet with Cash entitled "Goin' Up Goin' Down". He studied at the Old Globe Theater there while in high school, then signed a contract with Warner Brothers and moved to Los Angeles. Here is all you want to know, and more! Suffered a stroke on 14 February 1970. Actor, Motion Picture Director. He was tormented and deceitful, funny and knowledgeable, tolerant and tough, intoxicating and toxic. Fonda produced "Easy Rider" and Hopper directed it for a meager $380,000. He saw a career resurgence in 1986 when he was widely acclaimed for his performances in Blue Velvet and Hoosiers, the latter of which saw him nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. It allows hot air to circulate. The lint trap wouldnt budge. Multi-talented and unconventional actor/director regarded by many as one of the true "enfant terribles" of Hollywood who led an amazing cinematic career for more than five decades, Dennis Hopper was born on May 17, 1936, in Dodge City, Kansas. [73], By March 2010, Hopper reportedly weighed only 100 pounds (45kg) and was unable to carry on long conversations. Hopper also once owned Warhol's Mao, which he shot one evening in a fit of paranoia, the two bullet holes possibly adding to the print's value. He starred as King Koopa in Super Mario Bros., a 1993 critical and commercial failure loosely based on the video game of the same name. He had . Biography - A Short Wiki. "[25] He won critical acclaim and several awards for this role, and in the same year received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as an alcoholic assistant basketball coach in Hoosiers. I scraped out the crusted lint. UPDATE: Here's the Associated Press obituary. [20], Besides showing drug use on film, it was one of the first films to portray the hippie lifestyle. [11][12] Hopper was voted most likely to succeed at Helix High School, where he was active in the drama club, speech and choir. In 2005, Hopper played Paul Kaufman in George A. Romero's Land of the Dead. It was so. I soon discovered that the gallery crasher was Hopper, that hed fled his Taos, N.M., home of more than a decade, attended a minimum of three Alcoholics Anonymous or Cocaine Anonymous meetings a day, and narrowly escaped being institutionalized while straitjacketed in a psychiatric ward. Dean's death in a car accident in September 1955 affected the young Hopper deeply and it was shortly afterward that he got into a confrontation with veteran director Henry Hathaway on the film From Hell to Texas (1958). Hopper found greater fame for portraying the villains of the films Super Mario Bros. (1993), Speed (1994), and Waterworld (1995). Years later, Hopper told Jay Leno on The Tonight Show that hed fired Torn from Easy Rider after the actor pulled a knife. Most recently, Mr. Hopper starred in the television series Crash, an adaptation of the Oscar-winning film of the same title. Over the last decade, Ive realized that hed always felt a specific fear about going into the true roots of his personal myth. Sex is something that has to be in the book, he insisted. Natalie Wood reportedly juggled her "Rebel Without a Cause" director Nicholas Ray and actor Dennis Hopper at the Chateau Marmont. Find out the cause of death and more exciting information regarding the death of this famous movie actor. A couple months before his death, he was honored with a star on the. Shortly thereafter, he played drug smuggler and DEA informant Barry Seal in the HBO film Doublecrossed. Hopper debuted in an episode of the Richard Boone television series Medic in 1955, portraying a young epileptic. Dennis Hopper died at age 74, respectable. But Hopper also was a man who could charm while seeing the truth beneath the masks of Hollywood. Upon visiting Hopper for that story: Uh, like, man, sorry, you gotta come in through the garage. His limp handshake trembled. The remaining US$750,000 was to go to his estate. After becoming sober in the 1980s, Mr. Hopper began taking on roles in several films a year, becoming one of the most recognizable character actors of the day. Now wouldnt that make you a paranoiac? Dennis asked rhetorically. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, All the winners of the 2023 Independent Spirit Awards: live updates, Photographer Delaney George turns the lens on femininity: Black women are fine art, A take on Jesus Revolution from one who was there, defending Rowling and more, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Californias snowpack is approaching an all-time record, with more on the way, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78. When he was 13, Hopper and his family moved to San Diego, where his mother worked as a lifeguard instructor and his father was a post office manager, having previously served in the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency, in World War II in the China Burma India Theater. He appeared in three films released posthumously: Alpha and Omega (2010), The Last Film Festival (2016)[5] and the long-delayed The Other Side of the Wind (2018), which had been filmed in the early 1970s. Actor known for his dramatic performances in films such as Easy Rider, Blue Velvet, and Speed. [45] The title of the exhibition, Double Standard, was taken from Hopper's iconic 1961 photograph of the two Standard Oil signs seen through an automobile windshield at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard, Melrose Avenue, and North Doheny Drive on historic Route 66 in Los Angeles. But, again, he made a remarkable comeback, starting with a memorable performance as a drugged-out journalist in Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 Vietnam War epic, "Apocalypse Now," a spectacularly long and troubled film to shoot. In 1968, Hopper teamed with Peter Fonda, Terry Southern and Jack Nicholson to make Easy Rider, which premiered in July 1969. UPDATE: Here's the Associated Press obituary. Treatment at a detox clinic helped him stop drinking but he still used cocaine, and at one point he became so hallucinatory that he was committed to the psychiatric ward of a Los Angeles hospital. Dennis Hopper directing the film The Last Movie in 1971. After moving to San Diego with his family, he played Shakespeare at the Old Globe Theater. After a promising start that included roles in two James Dean films, Hopper's acting career had languished as he developed a reputation for throwing tantrums and abusing alcohol and drugs. They had a daughter, Marin, before Hopper's drug-induced violence led to divorce after eight years. iReport: Hopper became honorary mayor in 2009. Dennis watched us watching him. Part of HuffPost Entertainment. From there he went to Warner Bros., where he made "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Giant" while in his late teens. This brought the directors to dedicate the film to his memory at the beginning of the movie credits. It won the prize for best first film at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival (though it faced only one competitor, as the critic Vincent Canby pointed out in a tepid 1969 review in The New York Times). He said his reason for not voting Republican was the selection of Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate. He was a prolific photographer, painter, and sculptor. Hopper was also "notorious for his troubled relationships with women", including Michelle Phillips, who divorced him after eight days of marriage. Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker, photographer and artist. Dennis Hopper's Death - Cause and Date Born (Birthday) May 17, 1936 Death Date May 29, 2010 Age of Death 74 years Cause of Death Prostate Cancer Profession Movie Actor The movie actor Dennis Hopper died at the age of 74. On the set of "True Grit," Hopper so angered John Wayne that the star reportedly chased Hopper with a loaded gun. Peter Biskind states in the New Hollywood history Easy Riders, Raging Bulls that Hopper's cocaine intake had reached three grams a day by this time, complemented by 30 beers, and some marijuana and Cuba libres. Around that time, Ms. Hayward gave him a camera as a gift, and Mr. Hopper took up photography. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. May 17, 1936 Died May 29, 2010 (74) Add to list Nominated for 2 Oscars 23 wins & 17 nominations total Photos 424 Known for Easy Rider 7.3 Billy 1969 Blue Velvet 7.7 Frank Booth 1986 Speed 7.3 Howard Payne 1994 Waterworld 6.3 Deacon 1995 Credits Edit I reported back on my progress. [71], On March 18, 2010, he was honored with the 2,403rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. It wasnt my liver, my kidneys and all that stuff that went. [38] He became a prolific photographer, and noted writer Terry Southern profiled Hopper in Better Homes and Gardens as an up-and-coming photographer "to watch" in the mid-1960s. Trouble on the set developed almost immediately, as Peruvian authorities pestered the company, drug-induced orgies were reported and Hopper seemed out of control. He was 74. [67], On September 28, 2009, Hopper, then 73, was reportedly taken by ambulance to an unidentified Manhattan hospital wearing an oxygen mask and "with numerous tubes visible". [50], According to Rolling Stone magazine, Hopper was "one of Hollywood's most notorious drug addicts" for 20 years. He went on to appear in several films in the early 1980s, including the well regarded "Rumblefish" and "The Osterman Weekend," as well as the campy "My Science Project" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.". Dennis Weaver was a vegetarian since 1958 [12] and student of yoga and meditation since the 1960s and a devoted follower of Paramahansa Yogananda, the Indian guru who established the Self-Realization Fellowship in the United States. He went on to appear in several films in the early 1980s, including the well regarded "Rumblefish" and "The Osterman Weekend," as well as the campy "My Science Project" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.". He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009. The book, whose title refers to the house where he lived with Hayward in the Hollywood Hills in the 1960s, was edited by his daughter Marin Hopper. He remembered his mother: She was wild, very emotional, a screamer and a yeller. When, in 1985, NBC produced a TV movie, Perry Mason Returns, Hale was back as Della, and her son, William Katt, was cast as Paul Drake Jr, replacing Hopper, who had died in 1970. [36] His painting style ranges from abstract impressionism to photorealism and often includes references to his cinematic work and to other artists. On reading the script Hopper said to Lynch: "You have to let me play Frank Booth. [53], In 1994, Rip Torn filed a defamation lawsuit against Hopper over a story Hopper told on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. And there was a time when I had a lot of energy to display how crazy that was.. According to Torn's suit, it was actually Hopper who pulled the knife on him. Upon wrapping the scene, Mr. Hopper later recalled, Mr. Hathaway told him that his career in Hollywood was finished. In later years he picked up some income by becoming a pitchman for Ameriprise Financial, aiming ads at baby boomers looking ahead to retirement. It went on to gross $40 million worldwide, a substantial sum for its time. Prince Harry addresses 'Spare' backlash in interview: 'I have never looked for sympathy in this', Shania Twain was 'uncontrollably fragile' from ex Mutt Lange's affair with friend: 'How could I be so stupid', Olivia Newton-John's daughter Chloe reveals 'promise' she made to mother before her death, Emma Stones 'And' co-star Willem Dafoe had her slap him 20 times to get scene right, Prince Harry's 'attacks' on 'villain' Camilla led to Frogmore Cottage eviction: expert, Film industry reacts to death of 'Saving Private Ryan' star Tom Sizemore: 'You're a legend'. You always got something unexpected from him. Its not that he wouldnt; its that he couldnt sign any book contract. 36 on the AFI's list of top 50 movie villains. is dennis hopper related to william hopper is dennis hopper related to william hopper (No Ratings Yet) . He rarely laughed, and cautiously measured every move. Mr. Hopper, who said he stopped drinking and using drugs in the mid-1980s, followed that change with a tireless phase of his career in which he claimed to have turned down no parts. They were denied rooms in motels and proper service in restaurants as a result of their radical looks. Mr. Hoppers five marriages included one of eight days in 1970 to the singer Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas. All rights reserved. Hopper plays an aging hippie prankster in the 1990 comedy Flashback, fleeing in a Furthur-like old bus to the tune of Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild". Mr. Hopper first won praise in Hollywood as a teenager in 1955 for his portrayal of an epileptic on the NBC series Medic and for a small part in the James Dean film Rebel Without a Cause.. Dennis Hopper, in full Dennis Lee Hopper, (born May 17, 1936, Dodge City, Kansas, U.S.died May 29, 2010, Los Angeles, California), American film actor, director, and writer who rose to fame as a countercultural icon in the 1960s and later developed into a noted character actor. Hopper died May 29, 2010, in Los Angeles, 12 days after his 74th birthday. But the private Dennis I spent a decade alongside, working on his biography, had a different persona. [66], On November 14, 2010, it was revealed that, despite Duffy's earlier assertion in her court papers of February 2010 that Hopper was mentally incompetent and that his children had rewritten his estate plan in order to leave Duffy and her daughter, Hopper's youngest child Galen, destitute, Galen would in fact receive the proceeds of 40% of his estate. . [39] Dennis Hopper: Photographs 19611967 was published in February 2011, by Taschen. In March 2010, it was announced that Hopper was on the "short list" for Jeffrey Deitch's inaugural show at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA). In January 2010, Hopper filed to end his 14-year marriage to Victoria Hopper, who stated in court filings that the actor was seeking to cut her out of her inheritance, a claim Hopper denied. "Much of Hollywood," wrote critic-historian David Thomson, "found Hopper a pain in the neck.". The movie actor Dennis Hopper passed away at age 74, this age of death has to be considered respectable.What was the cause of death? The media is focusing on the psychopathic roles and his 1960s iconic status. Dennis Hopper, left, Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson in Easy Rider, Columbia Pictures/TRIO, via Associated Press. In January 2010, Hopper filed to end his 14-year marriage to Victoria Hopper, who stated in court filings that the actor was seeking to cut her out of her inheritance, a claim Hopper denied. Using the interviews weve already done?. Stepping in for an overwhelmed director, Hopper won praise in 1980 for his directing and acting in Out of the Blue. He had Scottish ancestors. Though Hopper gave critically acclaimed performances in Coppola's Rumble Fish (1983) and Sam Peckinpah's The Osterman Weekend (1983), it was not until he portrayed the gas-huffing, obscenity-screaming villain Frank Booth in David Lynch's Blue Velvet (1986) that his career truly revived. [44] In April 2010, Deitch confirmed that Hopper's work, curated by Julian Schnabel, will indeed be the focus of his debut at MOCA. Below is all you want to know regarding the death of Dennis Hopper and more! When it was released, "The Last Movie" was such a crashing failure that it made Hopper unwanted in Hollywood for a decade. [55], Hopper was honored with the rank of commander of France's National Order of Arts and Letters, at a ceremony in Paris. Mr. Hopper also shared an Oscar nomination for writing the film, while a nomination for best supporting actor went to a little-known Jack Nicholson. The marriage lasted eight days. He was a two-time Academy Award nominee, and in March 2010, was honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. The film Alpha and Omega, which was among his last film roles, was dedicated to him, as was the 2011 film Restless, which starred his son Henry Hopper. He confirmed his status as a rising star the next year, as the son of a wealthy rancher played by Rock Hudson in Giant, the epic western also starring Elizabeth Taylor and Dean. When he finally completed filming, he retired to his home in Taos, N.M., to piece together the film, a process that took almost a year, in part because he was using psychedelic drugs for editing inspiration. His role as a wild druggie in "Blue Velvet," also in 1986, won him more acclaim, and years later the character wound up No. We hung out together while my tape recorder consumed cassette after cassette of Dennis Hopper stories. ", Hopper made it to the top of the box office in the 1994 hit "Speed," in which he played the maniacal plotter of a freeway disaster. And in 1996 he starred in the science fiction comedy Space Truckers directed by Stuart Gordon. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. His politics, like much of his life, were unpredictable. "I just want to thank you," Hopper said, as he smiled broadly. Wow, man, Hopper gasped. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. In 2003, Hopper was in the running for the dual lead in the indie horror drama Firecracker, but was ousted at the last minute in favor of Mike Patton. Mr. Hopper issued a news release citing irreconcilable differences for the filing. 25 Feb/23. Obviously, the Hollywood star didnt want to go back into that dark decade. The print sold at Christie's, New York, for US$302,500 in January 2011. ", "Work is fun to me," he told a reporter in 1991. Market data provided by Factset. In gratitude for resurrecting his career and because, he said, I knew the art world, Hopper asked me to collaborate on his biography. Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Actor Dennis Hopper died at his home in Venice, California, Saturday morning, his wife said. Hopper had a supporting role as the bet-taker, "Babalugats", in Cool Hand Luke (1967). Immediately thereafter, Hopper starred as an addled short-order cook "Cracker" in the Neil Young/Dean Stockwell low-budget collaboration Human Highway. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. [65] A very ill Hopper did not appear in court though his estranged wife did. Date Of Birth: May 17, 1936 Date Of Death: May 29, 2010 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: White Nationality: American Dennis Hopper was born on the 17th of May, 1936. The cancer spread to his bones and he died on May 29, 2010. [72] Surrounded by family, fans, and friendsincluding Jack Nicholson, Viggo Mortensen, David Lynch, and Michael Madsenhe attended its addition to the sidewalk six days later. [58], On January 14, 2010, Hopper filed for divorce from his fifth wife Victoria Duffy. On the way, Hopper and Fonda befriend a drunken young lawyer (Jack Nicholson, whom Hopper had resisted casting, in a breakout role), but arouse the enmity of Southern rednecks and are murdered before they can return home. Torn won a defamation suit against Hopper when a judge ruled Hopper lied. He worried that one false step might plunge him back into the hell of his 1970s decade. All rights reserved. Scouted by the studios, Hopper was under contract to Columbia until he insulted the boss, Harry Cohn. It began in 1986 when he played an alcoholic ex-basketball star in "Hoosiers," which brought him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. Upon his release, Hopper joined Alcoholics Anonymous, quit drugs and launched yet another comeback. He was 74. The Dennis Hopper Trust Collection represents Hopper's directorial efforts.[79]. Or, perhaps, while dying he looked up at a teddy bear on a shelf the one handmade by his mother. Later, he moved to New York to study at the Actors Studio, where Dean had learned his craft. He was divorcing his fifth wife after 18 years together, obtaining an emergency restraining order to keep her at a 10-foot distance. For years he lived in Los Angeles' bohemian beach community of Venice, in a house designed by acclaimed architect Frank Gehry. He also built an extensive collection of works by artists he knew, including Warhol, Ed Ruscha and Julian Schnabel. It began in 1986 when he played an alcoholic ex-basketball star in "Hoosiers," which brought him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. [74] According to papers filed in his divorce court case, Hopper was terminally ill and was unable to undergo chemotherapy to treat his prostate cancer.[75][76]. One profoundly grateful to be welcomed back. Dennis Lee Hopper was born in 1936, in Dodge City, Kan., and spent much of his youth on the nearby farm of his grandparents. At the same time, his drug and alcohol use was increasing to the point where he was said to be consuming as much as a gallon of rum a day. His body was buried at the Jesus Nazareno Cemetery in Ranchos de Taos. In the next ten years he made a name in television, and by the end of the 1960 He returned to directing, with "Colors," "The Hot Spot" and "Chasers. After filming was finally completed, Hathaway allegedly told Hopper that his career in Hollywood was finished.[15]. [citation needed] Gerry died April 26, 2016, at 90. At the same time, his drug and alcohol use was increasing to the point where he was said to be consuming as much as a gallon of rum a day. Lovecraft in the TV movie Witch Hunt. He was involved in L.A.'s Ferus and Virginia Dwan galleries in the 1960s, and he was a longtime friend and supporter to New York dealer Tony Shafrazi. He was a two-time Academy Award nominee, and in March 2010, was honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. 36 on the AFI's list of top 50 movie villains. The idea was to break through inhibitions in order to become a better artist.. With his 6-year-old daughter, Galen, by his side, Hopper waved and bowed to hundreds of fans lining a barricade along Hollywood Boulevard. Actor Dennis Hopper left behind a legacy of movie achievements when he died on May 29, 2010, at age 74 from prostate cancer. That was the year I began to notice a ghostly figure nervously hovering at Westside art openings. The title of the exhibition, "Double Standard," is taken from a 1961 Hopper photograph of two Standard Oil signs seen through an automobile windshield on historic Route 66 in Los Angeles. [34] Early in his career, he painted and wrote poetry, though many of his works were destroyed in the 1961 Bel Air Fire, which burned hundreds of homes, including his and his wife's, on Stone Canyon Road[35] in Bel Air. [34] One of the first art works Hopper owned was an early print of Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans bought for US$75. For his last performance, he was the voice of Tony, the alpha-male of the Eastern wolf pack inside the 2010 3D computer animated film Alpha and Omega. He wanted a lot of sex. Following the critical and commercial failure of his second film as director, The Last Movie (1971), he worked on various independent and foreign projects in which he was frequently typecast as mentally disturbed outsiders in such films as Mad Dog Morgan (1976) and The American Friend (1977) until he found new fame for his role as an American photojournalist in Apocalypse Now (1979). When Hopper was a teenager, his family settled in San Diego, California, where he began performing at the Old . "A lot of it was about politically what was going on in the country.". May 30, 2010 -- Hollywood and fans were saddened by the news that legendary actor and director Dennis Hopper, 74, died Saturday from complications of prostate cancer. For the next year, I researched Hopper while he became known as the hardest-working man in show business. On my own dime, I ranged far and wide in New Mexico, tracking down contacts from his drug- and alcohol-fueled lost years of the 1970s, when he lived on legendary art patron Mabel Dodge Luhans Taos estate.