Dennis Hopper

One of Hollywood's most renowned libertines, Dennis Hopper cemented his rebellious reputation as the director and co-star/writer of the iconic 1969 counter-culture film Easy Rider. A talented actor and photographer with a knack for being plugged into significant scenes in American pop culture, Hopper was buddies with James Dean in the ‘50s (and appeared with him in two films) and hung around the Factory for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests during the mid-‘60s. After Easy Rider, Hopper largely stuck to playing unhinged characters, most notably the bugged-out reporter in Apocalypse Now ("What are they gonna say about him? He was a kind man? He was a wise man? He had plans? He had wisdom? Bullshit, man!") and the diabolical sadist Frank Booth in Blue Velvet ("Pabst Blue Ribbon!"). Later in his acting career, Hopper was open to just about any role, sometimes leading to memorable moments in major films (True Romance) and sometimes best-forgotten turns in straight-to-video flicks. (Space Truckers, anyone?) Despite various lapses in judgment, both artistic and narcotic, Hopper remains a highly influential figure in American cinema, a point hit home by his 2010 passing, which prompted an outpouring of heartfelt tributes from luminaries of various Hollywood generations.