Actor, Dennis Hopper Dies At 74 After Battling Cancer

Dennis Hopper, the hard-living Hollywood icon who directed and starred in the classic "Easy Rider" before sobering up for an acclaimed second act in a remarkable career, died Saturday.

The actor, whose critically-hailed performances dated back to "Rebel Without A Cause" opposite mentor James Dean, died of complications from prostate cancer at his Venice, Calif., home.

He was 74. Hopper - who was in the middle of a contentious divorce with his fifth wife - was surrounded by family and friends, according to Reuters.

Hopper earned a pair of Oscar nominations that reflected his wildly disparate talents: the first for co-writing 1969's cult classic "Easy Rider," and the second for his portrayal of an alcoholic hoops coach in "Hoosiers" nearly two decades later.

The latter role came after Hopper, one of Hollywood's most unremitting drug and alcohol abusers, beat his addictions and restarted his career - including roles in the quirky "Blue Velvet" and the big budget "Speed."

Hopper co-wrote "Easy Rider" with co-star Peter Fonda and Terry Southern, creating a low-budget biker flick that become a blockbuster.

The movie also starred an unknown Jack Nicholson as a hard-drinking attorney. Across his five-decade career, Hopper also starred in Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" as a demented photographer and in "Giant" opposite Dean.

He directed the Los Angeles gang movie "Colors," starring Robert Duvall and Sean Penn - who was so impressed that he later named his son Hopper.

The veteran actor first fell ill last September, but continued working on the cable television program "Crash" despite the cancer.

The counterculture hero received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame just two months ago.

Source: NYDaily News