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10 Dennis Hopper Roles That Prove He Was Hollywood’s Patron Saint of Maniacs
- The Curator
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Dennis Hopper: The Man of Mean
Dennis Hopper, who passed away on the 29th May, 2010, was an American actor, film maker, photographer and artist. Hardcore Hopper fans will remember his initial big break alongside Hollywood royalty James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause (1955). This was followed by a handful of films and television credits taking up the 60s-80s including a small indie film by the name of Apocalypse Now (1979).
For me, Dennis Hopper hit his stride in the late 80s/early 90s when mainstream Hollywood forgot about the drug addiction and love troubles. Leading him to memorable characters in almost every English speaking home. Here is my homage to the original American Bad Guy. Dennis Hopper’s Top Ten characters.
10. “King Koopa” in Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Every millennial who grew up pulling out their Nintendo cartridge to blow and reinsert knows this film. Super Mario Bros played to a mix of reviews and audience reception originally. Claiming to be a live action interpretation of the flagship Nintendo game of its namesake. Super Mario Bros swung for the fences and missed terribly. With the only redeeming performances by Dennis Hooper as big bad, King Kooper, and Bob Hoskins (of Who Framed Roger Rabbit fame) who carried the film home.
9. “Goon” in Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
It was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role, but Hopper’s brief moment as one of the leather-jacketed delinquents kickstarted a 50-year descent into Hollywood’s most dangerous men. Rumour has it that this was the performance of which Dennis Hopper was most proud. He dealt out a meager performance as a Goon hassling out James Dean’s character Jim Stark. Not a mind blowing performance by any means. More of an interesting role which helped shape one of the best character actors of the last 100 years. It was less about screen time and more about being in the room with James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause. This was his opening act — the shot of bourbon before the bender.
8. “Father Duffy” in House of 9 (2005)
Nine strangers. One location. A house. They are forced to kill each other off until only one of them remains. Left to escape the front door to, yeah you guessed it, another bloody house. Welcome to House of 9. It’s the homeless man’s answer to Saw. Featuring less budget and more melodrama. Dennis Hopper plays the voice of reason in the guise of Father Duffy. A priest with a checkered past dedicating his remaining time as a beacon of light to these eight strangers trapped in a murder house with just one grim rule: only one can walk out alive. It’s an interesting time for an actor who, during this period of his career, was playing every bad guy that was thrown at him. It’s weird seeing him as the voice of reason, but damn if he doesn’t sell it.
7. “Ronnie Purnell” in The Last Ride (2004)
The Last Ride is a woeful B-rated action flick in desperate need of someone’s attention. Anyone’s attention. This movie will be lucky if it has yours in the first sitting. It’s a simple cop and gangster revenge story vicariously lived through the lives of their sons. If you’ve been been paying attention at character actors over the two decades then the name Fred Ward will be all too familiar. Forget the story altogether. I just want to watch Dennis Hopper and Fred Ward go at it. This is pure B-movie testosterone. Hopper plays it grizzled and bitter, like Clint Eastwood’s pissed-off cousin with a vendetta and nothing left to lose.
6. “Lieutenant Lefty Enright” in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
Start your chainsaws. Here’s one for the horror fans of old. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 unveils more to the mythos of Leatherface’s cannibalistic clan. It’s a twisted carnival of blood where Dennis Hopper plays the local cop driven mad by grief as he continues looking into the macabre atrocities. In an amusement park of all places. He becomes hell-bent on destroying the family of cannibals with pure, screaming fury. Over-the-top? Yes. Glorious? Absolutely. Worth your time? You betcha!
5. “Rudolph ‘Red’ Diamond” in Boiling Point (1993)
Has their been an actor Wesley Snipes hasn’t teamed up with? Boiling Point sees Dennis Hopper’s character team up with fellow sociopathic killer (Snipes) to take on the mob and the police. All for the final score. Hopper’s character is very stereotypical for the time but you can feel the underlying tension that is immeasurable and looks to snap at any moment. It’s textbook Hopper: dangerous but irresistible.
4. “Kaufman” in Land of the Dead (2005)
Ever wondered what Trump would do in a zombie infested world? Land of the Dead answers that question with Dennis Hopper playing Kaufman. A community leader and late stage capitalist madman who decides who can join the rich in luxury while the rest of the city lives in squalor. Oh, and then there’s zombies intent on feasting on your flesh. It’s one of the last George Romero films with a decent budget to match. Even if the undead weren’t coming, you’d still want Hopper’s Kaufman dead.
3. "Howard Payne" in Speed (1994)
Howard Payne is (probably) the most well known and memorable character Dennis Hopper ever played. He’s a bomb crazy terrorist who rigs up a popular bus route to explode, only to be foiled by Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves). Howard Payne wasn’t just the villain of the year — he was the face of chaotic evil in the ’90s. With every hissed line and maniacal smirk, Hopper turned a B-movie plot into blockbuster dynamite. A movie that was on every network channel for over two decades.
2. "The Photojournalist" in Apocalypse Now (1979)
What if your manic roommate from art school wound up in the heart of Vietnam with a camera and a god complex? That’s Hopper’s gonzo photojournalist — part prophet, part acid casualty, all electricity. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Brando’s Colonel Kurtz, Hopper brought frenzied poetry to Apocalypse Now, embodying the madness and allure of the jungle’s pull. It’s not a performance — it’s an eruption.
1. “Deacon” in Waterworld (1995)
Back in the day, Waterworld was a sinking ship. Pardon the pun. It failed to make any significant ground so much that it’s notoriety came from the VHS release. Waterworld features a barely surviving human race living out the remainder of their days in a water-filled wasteland with no food or land in sight. It’s the polar opposite to the world in Mad Max. Featuring the most evil character Dennis Hopper has played, Deacon, who controls the “Waterworld” with fear and tyranny thanks to his jet ski militia and unending ego. Its a masterclass in villainous scenery-chewing played with gleeful wickedness and razor-sharp jabs. A skinhead Hitler who would rather see his own minions starve than lose a battle, Hopper owns every second of screen time, turning a soggy sci-fi disaster into a villain showcase for the ages.
RIP Dennis Hopper
He was the chaos engine. The mad prophet. The villain you feared but secretly wanted to party with. From arthouse psychosis to popcorn mayhem, Hopper’s roles were never safe — but they were always unforgettable. So here’s to the man who made madness into method and made every role feel like a dare.
Rest easy, you beautiful lunatic.
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