Origins & Early Life

Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker, photographer and visual artist. He is considered one of the key figures of the New Hollywood era. He earned prizes from the Cannes Film Festival and Venice International Film Festival as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Hopper studied acting at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and the Actors Studio in New York.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in two of the films that made James Dean famous, Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956). He then played supporting roles in films such as Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), Cool Hand Luke (1967), Hang 'Em High (1968) and True Grit (1969). Hopper made his directorial film debut with Easy Rider (1969), which he and co-star Peter Fonda wrote with Terry Southern. The film earned Hopper a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Debut, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He also began a prolific and acclaimed photography career in the 1960s. He became frequently typecast as mentally disturbed outsiders and...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alan Alda — Contemporary (Born in 1936) (1936): Esteemed American actor celebrated for M*A*S*H and decades of versatile performances.
• Albert Finney — Contemporary (Born in 1936) (1936): Esteemed English actor celebrated for his versatile stage and screen performances.
• Andrew Grove — Contemporary (Born in 1936) (1936): Visionary engineer and CEO who drove Intel to global semiconductor dominance.
• Benoit Mandelbrot — Contemporary (Died in 2010) (2010): Pioneering mathematician known for fractal geometry and the 'theory of roughness'.
• Blake Edwards — Contemporary (Died in 2010) (2010): Versatile American filmmaker known for comedies, dramas, and the Pink Panther series.
• BTS — Contemporary (Born in 2010) (2010): Global South Korean boy band known for lyrical depth on self-love and mental health.
• Alan Kay — Shared historical date (05-17 · Born) (1940): Pioneer of GUI, Object-Oriented Programming, and modern computing paradigms.
• Alfonso XIII — Shared historical date (05-17 · Born) (1886): King of Spain (1886-1931), whose reign spanned constitutional crises and republican upheaval.
• Annette Bening — Shared historical date (05-29 · Born) (1958): Versatile American actress celebrated for her dynamic stage and screen performances.
• Baháʼu'lláh — Shared historical date (05-29 · Died) (1892): Founder of the Baháʼí Faith, whose teachings emphasize unity and world governance.
• 1936 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1936
• May 17 (05-17) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on May 17
• 2010 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2010
• May 29 (05-29) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on May 29