Dennis Hopper
The bad boy voice of a generation, known for his devil-may-care attitude, his horrible temper, and his considerable talent, Dennis Hopper’s struggle with prostate cancer serves a sad and powerful lesson about the importance of prostate cancer screenings and early detection.
Born on May 17, 1936 in Dodge City Kansas, Hopper’s love of theatre started early. His family relocated to San Diego, California in the 40s when Hopper was in his teens. It was there that he discovered his love of acting, and he began performing at the Old Globe Theatre. It was also during this time that Hopper began to hone his talents for painting.
After graduating from high school, Hopper relocated to LA and signed on with Warner Brothers. In 1955 he was cast in a small part opposite Hollywood legends James Dean and Natalie Wood in Rebel Without a Cause.
The next year, Hopper went on to star again with Dean in Giant and the two became close friends. Despite a burgeoning career in acting, it soon became apparent to Warner Brothers that Hopper’s temper and behavior on set marked him as a liability. They dropped him, and he decided to move to New York to study under the famous Lee Strasberg.
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A Distinguished Acting Career
Throughout the sixties, Hopper made appearances in a slew of movies, including the highly-acclaimed prison drama, Cool Hand Luke, opposite Paul Newman. Despite the big names of the movies he starred in, Hopper was never himself nominated for any awards until 1969, when he made his directorial debut with the film Easy Rider, co-starring alongside Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson. The edgy movie, set in post-Vietnam America, centered around two drug dealers taking a road trip to New Orleans. Easy Rider was a huge hit, particularly resonating with audiences in their twenties, and helped usher in an era that popularized gritty, avante-garde-style filmmaking. The movie earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.
His large success with Easy Rider should have added to Hopper’s rising star, but his drug addictions only fueled his anger problems, making him increasingly more difficult to work with. Throughout the 70s, Hopper’s appearance in films was sporadic, and accompanied by rumors and stories of his erratic behavior.
In 1979, he co-starred in Francis Ford Coppola’s American war drama, Apocalypse Now, in which he played a crazed photojournalist. According to an article published by The Independent, Hopper’s crazy performance wasn’t a stretch; it was rumored that the was supplied with drugs during the shooting and that tensions were high between him and the film’s other star, Marlon Brando.
In the 80s, Hopper left behind a life of drug addiction and emerged sober. He was quickly welcomed back into the acting fold and, ironically, was nominated for an Academy Award in 1986 for his portrayal of an alcoholic basketball coach in David Anspaugh’s Hoosiers.
Later that same year, he starred in David Lynch’s subversive film, Blue Velvet, as the psychotic character of Frank Booth. Throughout the decade – up until his death – Hopper continued to work, and made appearances in multiple movies and television shows, including 24, and earned an Emmy for his turn on made-for-tv-movie, Paris Trout.
In addition to his expansive and impressive acting career, Hopper experienced acclaim with his photography and paintings. According an article written by the New York Times, most of Hopper’s art had been destroyed in a fire in 1961. His images of celebrities like Jane Fonda and Andy Warhol appeared in a variety of international gallery shows.
In 2010, Dennis Hopper was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Personal Life
Hopper’s romantic life proved to be as expansive as his resume. He had been married five times. His first marriage was to actress Brooke Hayward, in 1961, which was followed by a brief eight-day marriage to the Mamas and the Papas singer, Michelle Phillips. In 1972 he married actress Daria Halprin, who gave birth to his daughter Ruthanna.
In 1989 he married actress Katherine Lanasa, who gave birth to his son, Henry. In 1996, he married actress Victoria Duffy, to whom he remained wed until he passed away in 2010.
In 2009, Hopper went to the doctor with complaints of flu-like symptoms and stomach pain. After a screening, Hopper was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer. By the time he had been diagnosed, the cancer had metastasized and spread to his bones. He opted to undergo surgery later that year, but but that point little could be done.
With his health steadily declining, Hopper found himself in the midst of a legal drama involving his wife and their daughter Galen, who – at the time – was seven years old.
According to ABC News, Hopper had filed a motion with the Los Angeles County Court to have Galen removed from his million-dollar life insurance policy. Hopper cited that she would be well-provided for by his estate and, instead, wished for his elder three children to be the beneficiaries of the policy.
Three months prior to his attempt to change his life insurance policy, Hopper had filed for divorce from Duffy. After filing, he was ordered to pay $12,000/month in child support to Duff for the care of Galen, money which Duffy stated was not paid out. Hopper was also ordered to continue providing housing for Duffy and Galen.
The court, concerned for Galen’s financial security, denied Hopper’s motion.
On May 29, 2010, Hopper passed away due to complications from prostate cancer. He was 74 years old.
Learning from His Story
Hollywood has certainly mourned the loss of the talented Dennis Hopper. However, it is a death that may have been prevented with early detection.
We cannot stress enough the importance of frequent prostate cancer screenings, particularly for men over the age of forty or men with a family history of prostate cancer.
Early detection is key to prostate cancer survival. Prostate cancer is treatable, but in order to treat it, you must be proactive in detecting it. PSA tests, digital rectal exams and, if necessary, biopsies are all crucial to protecting yourself against cancer.
For more information on the importance of early detection, please visit the Prostate Cancer Foundation or the American Cancer Society and talk to your doctor.