Dennis Hopper had an acting career.
Dennis Lee Hopper ( May 17 , 1936 -- May 29 , 2010 ) was an American actor , filmmaker , photographer and artist . He went on to helm his third directorial work Out of the Blue ( 1980 ) , for which he was again honored at Cannes , and appeared in Rumble Fish ( 1983 ) and The Osterman Weekend ( 1983 ) . He saw a career resurgence in 1986 when he was widely acclaimed for his performances in Blue Velvet and Hoosiers , the latter of which saw him nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor .