US actor Dennis Hopper dies at age 74

May 29, 2010



Actor, director, and artist 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. He made his first television appearance in 1955, and appeared in two films featuring, ' (1955) and ' (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  (1969), winning an award at the, and was nominated for an as co-writer of the film's script.

Hopper was unable to build on this success for several years, until a featured role in  (1979) brought him attention. He subsequently received critical recognition for his work in ' and ', with the latter film garnering him an nomination for. Hopper's more recent work included a leading role in the television series .

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.