Dennis Hopper Battling Cancer

Veteran actor Dennis Hopper is battling prostate cancer and is said to be bedridden. The actor, age 73, announced today that he was seeking a divorce from his fifth wife, Victoria Duffy, with whom he has a 6-year-old daughter, Galen. Hopper has three other children from previous marriages.

Concern is mounting about the health of the actor when a released statement from his publicist had him declaring that he "only wants to spend these difficult days surrounded by my children and close friends."

Hopper is perhaps best known for directing and starring in the 1969 cult classic EASY RIDER. In a wildly varied career that has spanned over five decades, he has memorably appeared in a number of contemporary classics, including the 1950s films REBEL WITH A CAUSE and GIANT, as well as in such esteemed productions as APOCALYPSE NOW and BLUE VELVET. He also starred as a maniacal villian opposite Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in the thriller SPEED. Hopper is currently seen on the small screen in a television series based on the Oscar winning film CRASH.

Hopper, a Hollywood veteran and an indie film icon, has been nominated for the Oscar twice in his long career. His first nomination was for co-writing EASY RIDER along with his co-star Peter Fonda and Terry Southern. In the 1980s, Hopper was given the nod for his rare heartwarming role as an alcoholic high school basketball coach in the sports drama HOOSIERS.  

Hopper was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer last September and has recently begun a second course of chemotherapy.

Sandy Mandelberger, Film New York Editor