Dennis Hopper is Dead at 74

Published by Jeff Leins on May 29, 2010

Dennis Hopper passed away Saturday morning from complications due to prostate cancer.  The Hollywood actor had been battling an advanced, metastatic form of the disease since his diagnosis in late 2009.

Hopper died in his Los Angeles home surrounded by his friends and family, according to Reuters.  He was 74.

Fittingly, the first movie in Hopper’s 46-year acting career was 1955’s Rebel Without a Cause.  Unforgettable performances in Hoosiers and his directorial debut, Easy Rider, earned him Oscar nominations, but Hopper was also known for elevating wild, often maniacal characters like Blue Velvet’s Frank Booth, Speed’s Howard Payne, and Apocalypse Now’s photojournalist.  He starred in one of the most famous scenes of all time, a face off with Christopher Walken in True Romance.  Hopper was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2010.

Hopper once said, “Like all artists I want to cheat death a little and contribute something to the next generation.”