The original movie stoner, Dennis Hopper was born in Dodge City, Kansas on May 17, 1936. The actor got his start in Hollywood with bit parts in Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956), both starring James Dean.

His acting career is long and illustrious - 199 credits deep despite taking off most of the '70s. Initially, Hopper split time between movie and TV roles.

The first sign that Hopper wasn't just another Hollywood character actor came in 1967 when he appeared in The Trip - written by Jack Nicholson and directed by Roger Corman - as Max, the "head" of a hippie house.

Two years later, Hopper (above) was at the helm, directing Easy Rider and co-starring with Peter Fonda and Nicholson. It's generally considered the greatest counterculture movie of all time.

Hopper followed with Last Movie (1971), a colossal failure that, combined with cocaine and alcohol, sent him packing for most of the '70s.

Francis Ford Coppola rescued Hopper form temporary obscurity when he cast him as the babbling photographer in Apocalypse Now (1979 and the father in Rumble Fish (1983).

Hopper had a big year in 1986 (Blue Velvet, River's Edge, Hoosiers) and has worked consistently ever since. He also began directing again (Colors, The Hot Spot).

Over the last decade, Hopper returned to TV, appearing in 24, Crash and E-Ring.

He was married five times and has four children. Hopper and fifth wife Valerie were in a nasty custody battle over their six-year-old daughter Galen hen he died on May 28, 2010. Read the New York Times obit here.

Hopper acknowledged in Oct. '09 that he'd been suffering from prostate cancer. He had lost a lot of weight and was weak. Hopper had become a regular customer at The Farmacy medical-cannabis shop in Venice, California, where he lived.

In 1999, Hopper was arrested for marijuana possession at Calgary Airport. He admitted to having two film containers filled with pot. In 2000, the charge was dismissed.

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