Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954, and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956). During the next 10 years, Hopper appeared frequently on television in guest roles, and by the end of the 1960s had played supporting roles in several films. He directed and starred in Easy Rider (1969), winning an award at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as co-writer. "With its portrait of counterculture heroes raising their middle fingers to the uptight middle-class hypocrisies, Easy Rider became the cinematic symbol of the 1960s, a celluloid anthem to freedom, macho bravado and anti-establishment rebellion." Film critic Matthew Hays notes that "no other persona better signifies the lost idealism of the 1960s than that of Dennis Hopper." He was unable to build on his success for several years, until a featured role in Apocalypse Now (1979) brought him attention. He subsequently appeared in Rumble Fish (1983) and The Osterman Weekend (1983), and received critical recognition for his work in Blue Velvet and Hoosiers, with the latter film garnering him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He directed Colors (1988) and played the villain in Speed (1994). Hopper's later work included a leading role in the television series Crash. Hopper's last performance was filmed just before his death: The Last Film Festival, slated for a 2011 release. Hopper was also a prolific and acclaimed photographer, a profession he began in the 1960s.
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Golden Raspberry Awards
Worst Supporting Actor
National Society of Film Critics Awards
Best Supporting Actor
Known For
Blue Velvet
(1986)
Frank Booth
True Romance
(1993)
Clifford Worley
River's Edge
(1987)
Feck
Speed
(1994)
Howard Payne
Apocalypse Now
(1979)
Photojournalist
Edtv
(1999)
Henry 'Hank' Pekurny
Waterworld
(1995)
Deacon
Cool Hand Luke
(1967)
Babalugats
True Grit
(1969)
"Moon"
Easy Rider
(1969)
Billy
Giant
(1956)
Jordan "Jordy" Benedict III
Hang 'em High
(1968)
Prophet
Super Mario Bros.
(1993)
King Koopa
Land of the Dead
(2005)
Kaufman
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
(1986)
Lieutenant 'Lefty' Enright
Rebel Without a Cause
(1955)
Goon
Full Filmography
Acting
I Died a Thousand Times
(1955)
Joe (uncredited)
Rebel Without a Cause
(1955)
Goon
Giant
(1956)
Jordan "Jordy" Benedict III
New York Premiere Telecast 'Giant'
(1956)
Self
The Story of Mankind
(1957)
Napoleon Bonaparte
The James Dean Story
(1957)
Self
Sayonara
(1957)
MP in Kelly's House / MP at Tokyo Airport (voice) (uncredited)
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
(1957)
Billy Clanton
Swiss Family Robinson
(1958)
Fritz
From Hell to Texas
(1958)
Tom Boyd
The Young Land
(1959)
Hatfield Carnes
Disneyland '59
(1959)
Self
Key Witness
(1960)
William "Cowby" Tomkins
Night Tide
(1961)
Johnny Drake
Screen Test: Dennis Hopper
(1964)
Himself
Tarzan and Jane Regained... Sort of
(1964)
Tarzan (Double)
The Thirteen Most Beautiful Boys
(1964)
Andy Warhol Screen Tests
(1965)
Self
The Sons of Katie Elder
(1965)
Dave Hastings
Queen of Blood
(1966)
Paul Grant
Screen Test #3
(1966)
The Glory Stompers
(1967)
Chino
Cool Hand Luke
(1967)
Babalugats
The Trip
(1967)
Max
Hang 'em High
(1968)
Prophet
Head
(1968)
Dennis Hopper (uncredited)
Panic in the City
(1968)
Goff
True Grit
(1969)
"Moon"
Easy Rider
(1969)
Billy
The American Dreamer
(1971)
Himself
The Last Movie
(1971)
Kansas
Yoko Ono: This Is Not Here
(1972)
Self
Crush Proof
(1972)
Dennis Hopper
Kid Blue
(1973)
Bickford Waner
Bloodbath
(1975)
Chicken
James Dean: The First American Teenager
(1975)
Self
Mad Dog Morgan
(1976)
Daniel Morgan
To Shoot a Mad Dog
(1976)
Self
Tracks
(1976)
1st Sgt. Jack Falen
The Sorceror's Apprentice
(1977)
A Spy
The American Friend
(1977)
Tom Ripley
Flesh Color
(1978)
Mel
Last In, First Out
(1978)
Medford
Apocalypse Now
(1979)
Photojournalist
King of the Mountain
(1981)
Cal
Reborn
(1981)
Rev. Tom Hartley
Out of the Blue
(1981)
Don
Human Highway
(1982)
Cracker / Stranger
The Osterman Weekend
(1983)
Richard Tremayne
White Star
(1983)
Kenneth Barlow
Rumble Fish
(1983)
Father
Dennis Hopper's Russian Dynamite Death Chair Act
(1983)
Himself
The Inside Man
(1984)
Miller
A Hero of Our Time
(1985)
Casey
My Science Project
(1985)
Bob Roberts
Stark
(1985)
Lieutenant Ron Bliss
Stark: Mirror Image
(1986)
Lieutenant Ron Bliss
Hoosiers
(1986)
Shooter
Blue Velvet
(1986)
Frank Booth
Some Kind of Genius
(1986)
Himself
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
(1986)
Lieutenant 'Lefty' Enright
Black Widow
(1987)
Ben Dumers
Santabear's High Flying Adventure
(1987)
(voice)
O.C. and Stiggs
(1987)
Sponson
Straight to Hell
(1987)
I.G. Farben
The Pick-up Artist
(1987)
Flash Jensen
The American Way
(1987)
Captain
Out of the Blue and Into the Black
(1987)
Self
River's Edge
(1987)
Feck
Blue Peanuts
(1987)
Snoopy
Running Out of Luck
(1987)
Video Director
On the tracks of a filmmaker
(1988)
Dennis Hooper
No Frank in Lumberton
(1988)
Rabbit Ears - The Fisherman and His Wife
(1989)
Storyteller (voice) (uncredited)
Blood Red
(1989)
William Bradford Berrigan
Black Leather Jacket
(1989)
Narrator
Motion and Emotion: The Films of Wim Wenders
(1990)
Self
Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol
(1990)
Self
Catchfire
(1990)
Milo
Flashback
(1990)
Huey Walker
Chattahoochee
(1990)
Walker Benson
Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships & Intersections
(1990)
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Doublecrossed
(1991)
Barry Seal
Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas
(1991)
Self
SnowwhiteRosered
(1991)
Self
The Indian Runner
(1991)
Caesar
Eye of the Storm
(1991)
Marvin Gladstone
Crazy About the Movies: Dennis Hopper
(1991)
Self (uncredited)
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse
(1991)
Self
Paris Trout
(1991)
Paris Trout
Nails
(1992)
Harry 'Nails' Niles
Sunset Heat
(1992)
Carl Madson
The Heart of Justice
(1992)
Austin Blair
The Revenge of the Dead Indians
(1993)
Himself
Kris Kristofferson: His Life and Work
(1993)
Self
Super Mario Bros.
(1993)
King Koopa
Willie Nelson: The Big Six-O
(1993)
Self
Boiling Point
(1993)
Rudolph 'Red' Diamond
Red Rock West
(1993)
Lyle from Dallas
True Romance
(1993)
Clifford Worley
Witch Hunt
(1994)
H. Phillip Lovecraft
Chasers
(1994)
Doggie
Marlon Brando: The Wild One
(1994)
Self
Speed
(1994)
Howard Payne
Dark and Deadly: Fifty Years of Film Noir
(1995)
Himself
Waterworld
(1995)
Deacon
James Dean and Me
(1995)
Self (uncredited)
Search and Destroy
(1995)
Dr. Waxling
Samson and Delilah
(1996)
Generale Tariq
Rediscovering a Rebel
(1996)
Self / Goon (archive footage)
Return to 'Giant'
(1996)
Self
Carried Away
(1996)
Joseph Svenden
The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money
(1996)
Self - Host
The Last Days of Frankie the Fly
(1996)
Frankie
Space Truckers
(1996)
John Canyon
Basquiat
(1996)
Bruno Bischofberger
Road Ends
(1997)
Sheriff Ben Gilchrist
Cannes Man
(1997)
Self
Who Is Henry Jaglom?
(1997)
Self
U2: A Year in Pop
(1997)
Narrator (voice)
The Blackout
(1997)
Mickey
Vincent Price: The Versatile Villain
(1997)
Self
The A-Z of Separating People from their Money
(1998)
Himself
Meet the Deedles
(1998)
Frank Slater
Top of the World
(1998)
Charles Atlas
Welcome to Hollywood
(1998)
Dennis Hopper
A Tribute To Johnny Cash
(1999)
Self
Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage
(1999)
Self
Forever Hollywood
(1999)
Self
Edtv
(1999)
Henry 'Hank' Pekurny
Straight Shooter
(1999)
Frank Hector
The Source
(1999)
William S. Burroughs
The Pursuit of Happiness
(1999)
Himself
Bad City Blues
(1999)
Cleveland Carter
The Venice Project
(1999)
Roland / Salvatore
Luck of the Draw
(2000)
Giani Ponti
The Prophet's Game
(2000)
Vincent Swan
Lured Innocence
(2000)
Rick Chambers
Spreading Ground
(2000)
Det. Ed DeLongpre
Jesus' Son
(2000)
Bill
Tycus
(2000)
Peter Crowford
The Apostate
(2000)
Lewis Garou
The Ten Commandments of Creativity
(2000)
Self
Held for Ransom
(2000)
JD
Jazz Seen
(2001)
Self
Choke
(2001)
Henry Clark
Andy Warhol: The Complete Picture
(2001)
Himself
Knockaround Guys
(2001)
Benny Chains
L.A.P.D.: To Protect And To Serve
(2001)
Captain Elsworth
Ticker
(2001)
Alex Swan
Emmanuelle: A Hard Look
(2001)
Himself
Mysteries of Love
(2002)
Self
When Hippies Ruled The World
(2002)
Himself
1 Giant Leap
(2002)
Self
I Don't Know Jack
(2002)
Self
Flatland
(2002)
Smith
Leo
(2002)
Horace
The Piano Player
(2002)
Robert Nile
The Groovenians
(2002)
Dad/King Normans
New Scenes from America
(2003)
Himself - Actor
The Night We Called It a Day
(2003)
Frank Sinatra
A Decade Under the Influence
(2003)
Self
Unspeakable
(2003)
Warden
Dennis Hopper: Create (or Die)
(2003)
Self
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
(2003)
Self
Tell Them Who You Are
(2004)
Self
The Last Ride
(2004)
Ronnie Purnell
Alpha to Omega: Exposing 'The Osterman Weekend'
(2004)
Self (archive footage)
Out of Season
(2004)
Harry Barlow
The Keeper
(2004)
Krebs
Dennis Hopper: The Decisive Moments
(2004)
Self
House of 9
(2005)
Father Duffy
Rebel Without a Cause: Defiant Innocents
(2005)
Himself
Americano
(2005)
Riccardo
Inside Deep Throat
(2005)
Narrator (voice)
The Crow: Wicked Prayer
(2005)
El Niño
Champion
(2005)
Self
Land of the Dead
(2005)
Kaufman
The Sixth Element: The Ross Clarke-Jones Story
(2006)
Narrator
Sketches of Frank Gehry
(2006)
Self
Wanderlust
(2006)
Himself
Rising Son: The Legend of Skateboarder Christian Hosoi
(2006)
Narrator (voice)
The Art of Football from A to Z
(2006)
Self
Gorillaz | Demon Days Live
(2006)
Narrator (voice)
Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film
(2006)
Self
Memory
(2006)
Max Lichtenstein
Hoboken Hollow
(2006)
Sheriff Greer
10th & Wolf
(2006)
Matty Matello
50 Films to See Before You Die
(2006)
Self
The Real James Dean
(2006)
Self
Brando: An Icon Is Born
(2007)
Himself
The Holy Modal Rounders: Bound to Lose
(2007)
Self
Brando
(2007)
Self
Not Quite Hollywood
(2008)
Self
Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth
(2008)
Self
The Brothers Warner
(2008)
Self - Actor
An American Carol
(2008)
Judge Clarence Henderson
Chelsea on the Rocks
(2008)
Himself
Sleepwalking
(2008)
Mr. Reedy
Hell Ride
(2008)
Eddie Zero
Palermo Shooting
(2008)
Frank
Elegy
(2008)
George O'Hearn
Swing Vote
(2008)
Donald Greenleaf
The Cool School
(2008)
Self
Bananaz
(2008)
Narrator (voice)
13 Most Beautiful… Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests
(2009)
Himself
No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos
(2009)
Self
Ferlinghetti: A Rebirth of Wonder
(2009)
Himself
B movie
(2009)
Himself
Beautiful Darling
(2010)
Self (archive footage)
Stardust
(2010)
Self (uncredited)
Alpha and Omega
(2010)
Tony (voice)
Blue Velvet: The Lost Footage
(2011)
Frank Booth
Corman's World
(2011)
Various Roles (archive footage)
Scene Missing
(2012)
Self
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
(2012)
Self (archive footage)
Roland Klick: The Heart Is a Hungry Hunter
(2013)
Himself
Llyn Foulkes One Man Band
(2013)
Himself
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles
(2014)
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Taylor & Ultra: On the 60s, The Factory, and Being a Warhol Superstar
(2016)
Self (archive footage)
Along for the Ride
(2016)
Self (archive footage)
'Blue Velvet' Revisited
(2016)
Self
The Last Film Festival
(2016)
Nick Twain - Producer
Dennis Hopper: Uneasy Rider
(2016)
Self (archive footage)
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
(2018)
Self (archive footage)
The Other Side of the Wind
(2018)
Dennis Hopper
Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth
(2020)
Self
Hopper/Welles
(2020)
Self
Wim Wenders, Desperado
(2020)
Self (archive footage)
Spirit of Golf
(2023)
to Crinkle their Wrist, Perfumed Splendour
(2023)
Frank Booth (archive footage)
Super Mario Bros: The Lasanga Workprint
(2024)
King Koopa
Directing
The Trip
(1967)
Second Unit Director
The Glory Stompers
(1967)
Co-Director
Easy Rider
(1969)
Director
The Last Movie
(1971)
Director
Out of the Blue
(1981)
Director
Colors
(1988)
Director
The Hot Spot
(1990)
Director
Catchfire
(1990)
Director
Chasers
(1994)
Director
Homeless
(2000)
Director
Pashmy Dream
(2008)
Director
Writing
Easy Rider
(1969)
Screenplay
The Last Movie
(1971)
Story
The American Dreamer
(1971)
Writer
Out of the Blue
(1981)
Writer
Pashmy Dream
(2008)
Writer
Editing