Dennis was a rebel’s rebel. Born in legendary old west cowtown Dodge City, his madness is well matched with other Dodge City-born troublemakers such as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Must be the water.
He co-wrote, acted in and directed Easy Rider, did massive amounts of drugs and alcohol, starred in a few B-grade biker flicks, did massive amounts of drugs and alcohol, starred in Apocalypse Now, Hoosiers, and Blue Velvet (remember his villain Frank Booth?), and did massive amounts of drugs and alcohol.
He sobered up about 20 years ago and kept kicking ***, writing, directing and acting in films such as River’s Edge, True Romance, Jesus’ Son, Land of the Dead, **** Ride, and most recently, the Starz television series Crash, which I recommend you catch.
Dennis once told an interviewer, “I thought I’d be dead before I was thirty. Turning forty stunned me. Fifty is a major miracle, and I think I may even make seventy.”
He did, dying today after a yearlong battle with prostate cancer at age 74.
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