Dennis Hopper dies of prostate cancer, aged 74
Published Date: 30 May 2010
By Victoria Raimes
Hollywood star and director Dennis Hopper died yesterday aged 74 after losing his fight with prostate cancer, surrounded by family and friends.
The celebrated actor, best known for directing, co-writing and starring in 1969 cult classic Easy Rider, passed away yesterday morning at his home in Venice, California. A friend said he had been suffering from complications relating to his illness.
He died at 8.15am following a battle with prostate cancer which began in September last year.
Despite a deteriorating condition, the hard-living star, who openly admitted his fondness for drink and drugs, continued to work almost to the very end, both on his cable TV series Crash and on a book showcasing his photography.
Hopper, who won an award for Easy Rider at the Cannes Film Festival, also starred alongside James Dean in two 1950s films, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant. He played an offbeat photographer in Apocalypse Now, and the bad guy in Blue Velvet and Speed in the course of a career that spanned more than half a century.
He was also nominated for an Oscar for co-writing Easy Rider with Peter Fonda and won several other accolades, including a Best Supporting Actor award from the National Society of Film Critics, for his performance in Blue Velvet. Another Oscar nomination came his way following a rare heartwarming performance as an alcoholic high-school basketball coach in 1986 film Hoosiers.
British broadcaster Jonathan Ross described yesterday Hopper as "one of the greats". In a message on Twitter, he said: "Dennis Hopper RIP.
