[Archive 2010-05-29] US actor Dennis Hopper dies at age 74

Historical archive — originally published 2010-05-29. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Actor, director, and artist Dennis Hopper has died today at the age of 74. He was known to suffer from prostate cancer since October 2009.

He was born Dennis Lee Hopper on May 17, 1936 in Dodge City, Kansas. 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 1955, and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956). Over the next ten 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 of the film's script.

Hopper was unable to build on this success for several years, until a featured role in Apocalypse Now (1979) brought him attention. He subsequently 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. Hopper's more recent work included a leading role in the television series Crash.

Hopper was a prolific photographer, painter, and sculptor whose works have been exhibited worldwide.

On January 12, 2010, several months after the cancer diagnosis, Hopper had filed for divorce from his wife Victoria Duffy leading to an extended public feud between the couple over the course of the following months.

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