Dennis Hopper had his craziest role ever on television
He is rightly being celebrated as a movie star, from “Giant” to “Easy Rider” to “Blue Velvet.” But Dennis Hopper did some of his most memorable work on television.
He was staggering as a racist in the TV movie “Paris Trout.” He was memorably wicked as a Balkan war criminal on “24.” And he had his most way-out role ever on television — and that’s saying a lot.
In fact, he made that statement two years ago. Hopper, who died Saturday at age 74, said his strangest role was in “Crash,” a TV series based on the Oscar-winning movie.
In ”Crash,” he played a maverick record producer. I asked him then where that role stood in his gallery of memorably crazy characters. Consider this sampling of Hopper credits: “Blue Velvet,” “Speed,” “Waterworld,” “Apocalypse Now, “River’s Edge,” “Hoosiers” and “Easy Rider.”
The producer is “probably crazier than any of them,” Hopper said then. “He’s totally out of control. Well, Phil Spector and I shared offices for about 10 years. He’s a music mogul who wants to get one last big hit going, and he’s totally off the wall.”
Hopper continued: “He changes directions about 20 times in a minute. But it’s a great part.”
I asked then: Are you doing a tribute to Spector?
“I’m doing a tribute to me,” Hopper said. “I based this on my life.”
“Crash” came from Starz, and Hooper was thrilled about it.
“We have no language barriers or sexual,” Hopper said. “It’s just free. It’s as free as television will ever be.”
Here’s how free: The record mogul talks to his penis in one scene.
See why this role could qualify as the craziest in Hopper’s career?
I asked what they’re going for in the producer-talks-to-his-privates sequence.
“It’s the first scene I have in the series,” Hopper said. “I’m being driven by a beautiful young woman in a big limo. And she thinks I’m talking to her, but I’m really not talking to her, and you can’t really see what’s going on.”
Hopper said he is addressing a body part that doesn’t function anymore. The driver stops the car and finally understands the subject of his talk.
“You should see it. It’s very funny,” Hopper said.
Dennis Hopper took chances, and he had a remarkable career. He was the earnest son of Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor in “Giant.”
It’s a shock that he didn’t win the Oscar for “Blue Velvet,” probably his most memorable film role. But he wasn’t even nominated for that movie.
Instead, his Oscar nomination for best supportintg actor in 1986 came for “Hoosiers,” one of the greatest sports films. In “Hoosiers,” Hopper gave a startling, poignant performance as an alcoholic father. He was wonderful, but the Oscar went to Michael Caine for “Hannah and Her Sisters.”
Dennis Hopper made people cry in “Hoosiers.” And he’s making them cry again at his passing. He was just special.