Dennis Hopper’s greatest achievement as an actor: “I’ve been in such incredible movies”
Every generation has its pantheon of actors that pushed the boundaries of what audiences expected, and Dennis Hopper was most certainly one of these talents. Getting his start in the visceral 1955 drama Rebel Without A Cause, Hopper’s ability was clear from the get-go, making it no surprise to see him land roles in subsequent classics and era-defining epics. His distinct approach to the often disturbed characters that he portrayed gave him a unique edge.
Following that first appearance on the silver screen, he worked on westerns such as Giant in 1956 and continued to do so throughout the ’60s, with the original True Grit in 1969 being the most notable.
That same year, Hopper took himself to new territory by writing, directing, and starring in Easy Rider, which is widely regarded as one of the crucial films that pushed the industry further into the age of New Hollywood. His directorial debut encapsulated Hopper as a creative, with his natural rebellious personality being the blueprint for the film’s nonconformist premise.
While Easy Rider might have been the ultimate manifestation of Hopper’s artistic sensibilities, he continued to put his name out there in Hollywood. He proved to everyone that he was made for these genre-benders, which included the psychological masterclass Apocalypse Now and River’s Edge in 1986. Hopper also took on roles within different areas of the industry, such as the sports drama genre in Hoosiers, but even in that film, his character of Shooter is multi-layered with deep personal issues.
With a pretty impressive run throughout his career, choosing his best performance is no easy task. However, in his last ever interview before passing away in 2010, Hopper revealed that the film he’s most proud of was “Blue Velvet, probably. But I’ve been in such incredible movies. I think at one point I’d been in the five most expensive movies ever made—not that I had large parts in them. Apocalypse Now was one.” he told Vanity Fair.
Directed by the late, great David Lynch, Blue Velvet is widely regarded as the visionary filmmaker’s best work despite its controversial depiction of sexual violence. Considering Hopper’s real-life character, his choice for Lynch’s neo-noir, surrealist film doesn’t come as much of a surprise, with his performance being one of the most unnerving in cinema history.
In the same interview with Vanity Fair, Hopper also reflected on his career as a whole, saying, “I made my living as an actor, and I love acting, so I’m an actor. But that gets you in a lot of trouble in the art world.” He also adds I tell you who’s got it: Viggo Mortensen. He’s a terrific writer. He’s a good photographer. He paints. And he makes music.” Hopper himself also ventured into various creative pursuits throughout his career, which was sure to have an impact on how highly he regards Blue Velvet, with Lynch also falling under the same umbrella of artistic vision.
