An acclaimed actor and filmmaker with an iconic and distinctly American voice, DENNIS HOPPER (Kaufman) was born in Dodge City, Kansas and grew up in San Diego, California. Following stage performances at the Old Globe Theatre and the La Jolla Playhouse as well as early television appearances, Hopper made a lasting, national impression with his performance in Nicholas Ray’s classic Rebel Without a Cause, opposite James Dean and Natalie Wood. He quickly followed this with equally revelatory performances in George Stevens’ epic Giant and John Sturges’ Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. He expanded his range and career after relocating to New York City where he studied with one of the giants of the craft, Lee Strasberg; while in New York, Hopper starred in a myriad of television shows, including The Rifleman, Naked City, The Defenders, The Twilight Zone and Wagon Train.
Following a return to Hollywood and continued work in cutting-edge, independent films (as both an actor and second-unit director), Hopper forever changed the face of American cinema with the 1969 film Easy Rider, which Hopper directed, cowrote (with co-star Peter Fonda and Terry Southern) and headlined. The film received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Screenplay, as did another of its stars, Jack Nicholson (for Best Supporting Actor). The film, made for $350,000, went on to gross in excess of $50 million and garnered Hopper the Best New Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Since Easy Rider, Hopper has been a familiar presence both in front of and behind the camera for more than three decades. He has been in over 140 television shows and has starred in more than150 films including Apocalypse Now, River’s Edge, Blue Velvet, Hoosiers, True Romance, Speed, Waterworld and EdTV.
Hopper received the prestigious CIDALC award at the Venice Film Festival for The Last Movie (1971), which he directed, co-wrote and starred in. He received Golden Globe and Academy Award® nominations for his role in Hoosiers. He also received a Golden Globe nomination for his role as Frank Booth in David Lynch’s now-classic Blue Velvet.
More recently, Hopper lent his distinctive voice to narrate the Sundance hit documentary INSIDE Deep Throat, produced by Oscar®-winning producer Brian Grazer and written, directed and produced by Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato. He became Chair of the CineVegas Film Festival in June of 2004. Hopper has also appeared on the television show Las Vegas with James Caan, in the USA Networks feature The Last Ride and on the acclaimed series 24; he also starred as legend Frank Sinatra in the independent film The Night We Called It a Day.
Upcoming film projects for Hopper are: 10th & Wolf (starring opposite James Marsden, Giovanni Ribisi and Brad Renfro), Out of Season (opposite Gina Gershon) and The Keeper (with Asia Argento). Hopper also recently played opposite outstanding cast members Joseph Fiennes, Sam Shepherd, Elisabeth Shue and Debra Unger in the feature Leo.
Hopper also co-stars opposite Benjamin Bratt in the new Jerry Bruckheimer/Warner Bros. Television-produced NBC series E-Ring, starting fall 2005; the pilot was directed by Taylor Hackford.
In addition to acting and directing, Hopper is a noted photographer and painter. Dennis Hopper is married to Victoria Duffy, who gave birth to their first child, daughter Galen, in March 2003. Hopper remains close to his three other children from previous marriages: Marin, Ruthanna and Henry.
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