Just this afternoon - news broke - that Dennis Hopper was rushed to an "emergency" medical facility at a New York hospital.
At this hour, rumors are swirling.
Is the legendary film actor struggling for his life - passed to spirit already - or hanging on?
A couple weeks ago, when a news report flashed around the globe that the legendary actor was admitted to emergency in Vegas (?), there was a big buzz around Hollywood.
Was Mr. Hopper suffering from the flu or a more serious ailment?
Some whispered that Hopper was terminally ill with prostate cancer which is what many speculated today.
Last year, I was fortunate to interview the multi-facetted Hopper on the red carpet at the 10th Annual CineVegas Film Festival.
Mr. Hopper has been a big supporter of - and a main thrust behind - that creative well in the desert oasis.
In October, however, it was announced that CineVegas has going on hiatus "indefinetly".
Are the two events (Hopper's alleged terminal illness and the demise of CineVegas) connnected in some way?
Unlike some big-wigs in the festival racket, Mr. Hopper always remained accessible.
In fact, oftentimes he wowed theatregoers and fans alike on an occasion or two when he strolled through the CineVegas Fest (headquartered at the Palms in Vegas last year) on a whim - and likewise - posed for a photo or to warmly shake a hand of a well-wisher.
On one night in particular - at a chi-chi after-party on the pool deck at the Palms - Mr. Hopper laughed and joked with festival-goers as he graciously rubbed shoulders with Britney Spears (who quietly slipped in a side door with very little fanfare at the height of her sensational break-up that summer), Bill Pullman, pretty Bijou Phillips, Johnny Brenden (theatre-owner), Robin Leach (Lifestyles of Rich & Famous) and moi (of course).
http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2008/06/cinevegas-film-festivalbritney-spears.html
All the while, those ubiquitious shades protected his innermost thoughts from the prying eyes of the fawning public, believe me.
In a blog post the next day, I wondered aloud, what the man-of-the-hour must have been contemplating behind those mysterious designer sunglasses.
I didn't have to wait long to find out.
Later that day, when Mr. Hopper spied me guzzling a beer down in the CineVegas lounge, he slipped off the shades - stared into my eyes nakedly - and gave a broad smile.
The man was at peace, obviously.
And, imagine that!
Dennis was following my blog, yessiree!
What a compliment that was.
His first critical notice singled him out when he first appeared in GIANT opposite Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean.
In that role, he was pretty-much the straight arrow.
When "The Rocker" premiered at Cinevegas, I was blessed with the opportunity to ask Mr. Hopper a few questions about those heady days in the early stages of his career.
Surprisingly, he wasn't intimidated by the big "3".
http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2008/06/cinevegas-film-festivalrainn-wilson.html
Of course, anyone who has screened the big sprawling Western saga, is keenly aware that Hopper held his own!
But, it wasn't until "Easy Rider" (a film he starred in and directed) roared into cinemas around the country a few years later, that he became a cult hero (and a household name).
Hopper honed his craft, became a seasoned pro, and eventually the gifted thespian managed to carve out a niche for himself in bizarre off-beat roles such as the one he inhabited in the remarkable feature film "Blue Velvet".
His characterization of a crazed bomber in "Speed" was a stand-out to me and stole the show right out from under his co-stars, although he would pooh-pooh such a notion.
That's probably one of the reasons he is considered to be an "actor's actor" - and all-round good fellow - cherished as a natural treasure (if not a creative wonder of the world).
More recently, Hopper turned in a scary performance as a childbeater - opposite Charleze Theron - in "Sleepwalking"
Many people are unaware of the fact that Hopper is also an accomplished artist.
A man after my own heart (I am an abstract expressionist, after all).
His painting style has ranged from pure abstract impressionism to photorealism over the years.
Let's pray he pulls through this spat of ill health and goes on to enrich our lives for a decade or two to come.
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