He was a good bad boy – if you know what I mean. Another Hollywood icon has said farewell to this world, and we will all remember him with fond memories. Dennis Hopper passed away yesterday at the age of 74 in his home in Venice, Los Angeles. Last year, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He valiantly battled the disease, which eventually took his life.
Dennis Hopper’s career was full of ups and downs – much like many other personalities out there. One big difference is how this man handled the stuff that life threw at him. Despite all the discouragement he had met in his career, he was able to achieve a lot of things, including two Oscar nominations, his own Hollywood star (which he got this year, by the way), and a reputation for being one of the best bad boys in Hollywood.
He is probably best known for Easy Rider, which changed a lot of things for him and movies in general. Indeed, his co-star Peter Fonda says that they “rode the highways of America and changed the way movies were made in Hollywood.” In tribute to Hopper, he continues to say that he “was blessed by his passion and friendship.”
More than being an actor, Dennis Hopper was also an accomplished director. In fact, the last several years of his life could be described as nothing but frenetic. This is a guy who was filled with passion for his life and work, and for that, we cannot do anything but admire him.
So long, Dennis Hopper!
Originally posted on May 30, 2010 @ 2:12 pm