Dennis Hopper had an acting career.
Dennis Lee Hopper ( May 17 , 1936 -- May 29 , 2010 ) was an American actor , filmmaker , photographer and artist . He attended the Actors Studio , made his first television appearance in 1954 , and soon after appeared alongside James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause ( 1955 ) and Giant ( 1956 ) . 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 . Hopper found even greater fame for portraying the villains of the films Super Mario Bros. ( 1993 ) , Speed ( 1994 ) and Waterworld ( 1995 ) . Hopper 's later work included a leading role in the short-lived television series Crash ( 2008 -- 2009 ) , inspired by the Academy Award-winning film of the same name .