Dennis Hopper, the Easy Rider director best remembered for playing whacked-out characters during an acting career that spanned six decades, died after a long bout with prostate cancer. He was 74.
Hopper died Saturday morning, the office of his agent, Liz Dalling, told TVGuide.com. No immediate details were released.
Critics and fans often said no one did crazy roles better than Hopper. For a long time, those roles reflected how he was living.
The Dodge City, Kan., native was a bit of prodigy, appearing in feature films such as Rebel Without a Cause, Giant and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral by the time he was 21.
After making Rebel and Giant together, James Dean and Hopper became fast friends. When Dean was killed in his Porsche in September 1955, Hopper was devastated.
Much of the work he did in the '60s was generally undistinguished — until he directed 1969's low-budget Easy Rider, in which he co-starred with Peter Fonda and a still upcoming Jack Nicholson. It was a huge success — both at the box office and as a talisman for the turbulent times, leading to other anti-war, anti-establishment films. The movie was nominated for the top honor at the Cannes Film Festival, (where it won "best first work") and Hopper received an Academy Award nomination for original screenplay.
Hopper's next directing effort, however, 1971's The Last Movie, bombed.
See photos of Dennis Hopper through the years
Hopper then went on a colossal bender that he subsequently wasn't shy about discussing.
In 2001, the actor/filmmaker/artist talked about being sober for 18 years — and not only from booze. He did various hallucinogens and narcotics. "I only used to do cocaine so I could sober up and drink more. My last five years of drinking was a nightmare. I was drinking a half-gallon of rum with a fifth of rum on the side, in case I ran out, 28 beers a day, and three grams of cocaine just to keep me moving around. And I thought I was doing fine because I wasn't crawling around drunk on the floor."
In the wake of that, he was quoted as saying: "I should have been dead 10 times over. I've thought about that a lot. I believe in miracles. It's an absolute miracle that I'm still around."
Before he kicked his habits, Hopper offered a memorable performance as a nutty photographer in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now.
The 1980s saw a comeback by a clean and sober Hopper — culminating with David Lynch's Blue Velvet, in which he played an off-the-deep-end criminal. In 1986, he played a sad alcoholic in Hoosiers, offering a performance that brought him an Oscar nomination for supporting actor.
Dennis Hopper starts experimental treatment for prostate cancer
In his limited TV work, Hopper received an Emmy nomination for the 1991 HBO film Paris Trout, an adaptation of a Pete Dexter novel. More recently, he played a drug-addled music producer in the Starz premium channel's spinoff of the Oscar-winning movie Crash.
Hopper also made a name for himself as a photographer and artist, and his works were exhibited around the world.
Dennis Hopper's wife wants full custody of daughter
Married five times, he recently filed for divorce from his wife of nearly 14 years, Victoria, with whom he had a 7-year-old daughter, Galen. He had three grown children from his previous marriages. One of those marriages, to Michelle Phillips, lasted eight days.
Rap has grown to the point where age is not starting to matter as much as it used to. Rappers like Jay-Z and Raekwon have shown that as long as the product is good, fans will buy.
VladTV spoke with Havoc of Mobb Deep about the subject of rappers over 30 and he had an interesting take on it.
"Here's my problem, Jay-Z killed the game [and] he could do that. And if somebody was in that same position I feel they could do it," he said. "But if you already haven't gotten on and you past 30, try something else. Especially if you don't have any money because now you're wasting time."
Ms Drama recently caught up with The-Dream. The interview gave the R&B star a platform to get a few things off his chest.
He explains his frustration with his records leaking to the internet early. Something that has become a huge problem for the music industry.
"I would hate to see any writer or journalist that is 1/3 away from completing their story and having that story leaked. I would hate to see Picasso start to paint and somebody release something that they have. I don't mind if my records end up on the internet, but I do mind if it's not finished and it's being judged before it's finished."
The-Dream's third and unfortunately last cd titled 'Love King' is coming out June 13. He's fed up with fans that don't appreciate his "great music".
"There's not another album, this is it. Nobody appreciates good music so I'm out, I'm good so take that. Like Jay [Z] said, maybe yall will remember me when I fade to black."
Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Robbers stole $5.5 million from a southern Iraqi state bank after giving guards tea laced with a sleeping drug, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.
No shots were fired during the incident Friday at a bank near Najaf, the Interior Ministry said. The money is the equivalent of 6.5 billion Iraqi dinars.
In recent months, there has been a spike of similar incidents and authorities believe that insurgents were behind them to fund their military operations
Earlier this week, 15 people died in southwestern Baghdad after a brazen series of jewelry store heists on Tuesday in which bandits made off with gold and money.
In this latest incident, robbers had an associate among the bank's guard force give drugged tea to the guards, officials said.
After the guards passed out, the robbers entered the bank and made off with the money.
Two people were arrested, but police were not able to recover any of the money. The Interior Ministry said it appears the two are poor people trying to make money and are not part of a terrorist organization.
Members of the bank's guard force are being investigated, the Interior Ministry said.
Former light heavyweight champions Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans will have their long awaited grudge match Saturday night at UFC 114 in Las Vegas.
Here's a breakdown of the UFC 114 main card:
Rashad Evans (14-1-1) vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (30-7)
The stakes are high for both men.
Based at Greg Jackson's academy in New Mexico, Evans benefits from some of the premier training partners in the industry, including Shane Carwin, Keith Jardine, Nate Marquardt, Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre.
In addition to his world-renowned wrestling game, Evans has developed into one of the division's most vicious strikers. Evans was also awarded his black belt in no-gi BJJ from Rolles Gracie prior to his win over Thiago Silva in January.
Evans has proven that he has legitimate one-punch power. His sensational knockout of Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 in September 2008 was the turning point of his career, which later led to a victory over Forrest Griffin to claim the UFC light heavyweight title.
Fresh off a win over Silva, the 30-year-old Evans will need to utilize head movement and leg kicks to wear down Jackson.
Jackson, a world-class wrestler in his own right, has fought and beaten some of the best fighters on the planet, including Keith Jardine, Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson, Chuck Liddell, Murilo Rua and Ricardo Arona.
"Rampage" has won eight of nine fights since losing to the current champ Rua at Pride Total Elimination 2005 with his lone setback being a contentious decision loss to Forrest Griffin in July 2008.
A gifted heavy-handed boxer with the sport's most distinguishable slams, Jackson's Achilles' heel is not dedicating himself to long hours in the gym. When Jackson is motivated, there are few fighters who can hang with the man who unified the UFC and Pride 205-pound titles. Hell-bent on revenge for all the trash talk, Rampage insists the work has been done inside England's Wolfslair Academy where he prepared alongside UFC notables Michael Bisping and Cheick Kongo.
But Jackson has also embraced the movie star lifestyle as he will be playing B.A. Baracus in the upcoming A-Team movie. Ring rust and conditioning will be major factors as Jackson has not seen action since defeating Evans' training partner Jardine in March 2009. If this fight goes past the second round, Evans' cardio could be the difference maker.
Jackson will undoubtedly possess the power advantage and Evans could pay the price if he shoots in with half-hearted takedown attempts. But Evans can also pick Jackson apart with leg kicks, a technique his teammate Jardine and Griffin both employed effectively against Jackson.
If Evans slugs it out or gets sloppy in close quarters, he will be playing right into Jackson's hands.
Michael Bisping (18-3) vs. Dan Miller (11-3)
In the co-feature, Bisping looks to rebound from a loss to Wanderlei Silva in February.
Bisping, "The Ultimate Fighter 3" winner has compiled an impressive list of victories during his UFC campaign, defeating the likes of Eric Schafer, Matt Hamill, Chris Leben and Denis Kang.
Meanwhile, Miller is a BJJ black belt under Jamie Cruz with a base in wrestling.
The AMA Fight Club product could receive his walking papers if he fails to impress the UFC brass as he is coming off back-to-back losses against Chael Sonnen and Demian Maia, respectively.
Prior to the successive setbacks, Miller was on a three-fight winning streak in the UFC. The submission stylist tapped out both Rob Kimmons and Jake Rosholt in the first round.
Armed with a sharper stand-up game, Bisping should be able to pick Miller apart with his boxing, much like Maia did in their February meeting. However, if this fight goes to the ground, it will play more to Miller's strengths.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3) vs. Jason Brilz (18-2-1)
Initially slated to face former UFC champion Forrest Griffin, Nogueira will take a step down in competition against Brilz.
The 33-year-old BJJ black belt Nogueira trains at Team Black House with his brother Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Anderson Silva.
The former Pride standout has defeated Guy Mezger, Kazushi Sakuraba, Alistair Overeem and Dan Henderson in Japan.
With another win, he will inch closer to a potential title shot against Shogun Rua in a rematch of their classic 2005 Pride encounter, which Shogun won by unanimous decision.
Brilz, a three-time Academic All-American wrestler at Nebraska, trains at Elite Performance MMA under Jeremy Horn.
Nicknamed "The Hitman," Brilz has beaten a handful of UFC veterans, including Jason MacDonald, Alex Schoenauer, Tim Boetsch and Eric Schafer.
Nogueira is a superior striker with lethal hands, in addition to possessing one of the best ground games in the division. Even if Brilz manages to take him down, he could wind up in a dangerous predicament against the slick submission player.
Todd Duffee (6-0) vs. Mike Russow (12-1)
The 24-year-old Xtreme Couture product Duffee is among the most hyped heavyweight prospects in MMA.
Unbeaten with six knockouts, Duffee made an emphatic statement in his UFC debut. Last August, Duffee knocked out Canadian Tim Hague in seven seconds to record the fastest knockout in UFC history.
It remains to be seen how the physically imposing heavyweight responds to pressure against a more experienced adversary.
Russow, a 33-year-old veteran, has only one blemish on his record -- a submission loss to Sergei Kharitonov at Pride 33 in 2007. His notable wins include Jason Guida, Roman Zentsov and Justin McCully.
Riding an eight-fight winning streak, Russow has been training with Andrei Arlovski and Brock Lesnar to prepare for Duffee's size and raw power. A well-rounded heavyweight, Russow may aim to secure a takedown to cope with Duffee's explosiveness.
Despite Russow's experience, Duffee will be favored to score yet another knockout.
Diego Sanchez (21-3) vs. John Hathaway (12-0)
After a complete destruction at the hands of B.J. Penn last December, Sanchez will be returning to 170 pounds against a solid undefeated prospect.
Following a solid run at 155 pounds, which included wins over Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida, Sanchez is returning to the division where he attained his greatest success in the UFC. A BJJ brown belt under Saulo Ribeiro, Sanchez has expressed interest in competing in both divisions.
To some observers, Hathaway may appear to be a mere stepping stone for Sanchez in his welterweight comeback fight, but the unbeaten Brit could also embrace this opportunity to shock the world.
Anchored at ZT Fight Skool and London Shootfighters in the U.K., Hathaway has exhibited solid striking and wrestling in his three UFC victories over Thomas Egan, Rick Story and Paul Taylor.
Sanchez is far more dangerous on his feet and he will wear the 22-year-old down with an abundance of strikes if the Brit is unable to put him on his back. However, Hathaway's aggression and survival skills may be enough to take this fight the distance.
Indian police are holding a pigeon under armed guard after it was caught on an alleged spy mission for neighboring Pakistan, media reported Friday.
The white-colored bird was found by a local resident in India's Punjab state, which borders Pakistan, and taken to a police station 25 miles from the city of Amritsar.
The pigeon had a ring around its foot and a Pakistani phone number and address stamped on its body in red ink.
Police officer Ramdas Jagjit Singh Chahal told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency that they suspected the pigeon landed on Indian soil from Pakistan with a message, although no trace of a note was found.
Officials directed that no one should be allowed to visit the pigeon, which police said was possibly on a "special mission of spying."
The bird was medically examined and kept in an air-conditioned room under police guard.
Senior officers asked to be kept updated on the situation three times a day, PTI reported.
Chahal said local pigeon keepers in the sensitive border area told police that Pakistani pigeons were easily identifiable as they looked different from Indian ones, according to the Indian Express newspaper.
Losing 50-plus pounds was a complicated process for 50 Cent - but not an entirely new one.
The rapper, who plays a football player with cancer in the upcoming film "Things Fall Apart," dropped from 214 pounds to 160 in nine weeks after liquid dieting and running on a treadmill three hours a day.
But the 33-year-old said that when he was shot in the jaw in 2000, he could drink only liquids and his weight dropped to 157.
"This time it was a lot tougher for me," the 6-foot-tall rapper said in an interview Friday with the Associated Press.
"I had to discipline myself not ... to actually have myself be in the physical state to convey the energy I felt. It's a passion project for me," said 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson.
The film is about a childhood friend of the rapper who died of cancer, and is in production.
Actors including Robert De Niro, Christian Bale, Tom Hanks and Renee Zellweger are known for adjusting their weight in movies, and 50 said he did research when keeping the weight off got hard.
"I actually got on the computer," he said. "When it started getting difficult, I was looking to see what their experience was like and I got a chance to see all of the interviews they had at different time periods when they were doing promotion for the projects."
50 has been gaining the lost weight back, though, and said he currently weighs 198 pounds.
He said he doesn't anticipate winning awards for his acting role.
"Well, you know, I haven't received accolades that comes with the success that I've had in music," he said. "It would be a surprise" to win any acting awards, he said, noting that it's already a reward to have people aware of the role."
He released his fourth album, the gold-selling "Before I Self Destruct," in November. He kicks off his NorthAmerican tour Saturday in Detroit.
PROVO, Utah (AP) -- Gary Coleman, the child star of the smash 1970s TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" whose later career was marred by medical and legal problems, has died after suffering an intercranial hemorrhage. He was 42.
Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank says life support was terminated and Coleman died at 12:05 p.m. MDT.
Coleman, with his sparkling eyes and perfect comic timing, became a star after "Diff'rent Strokes" debuted in 1978. He played the younger brother in a pair of African-American siblings adopted by a wealthy white man.
His popularity faded when the show ended after six seasons on NBC and two on ABC.
He suffered continuing ill health from the kidney disease that stunted his growth and had a host of legal problems in recent years.
That wave Max-B has been riding just turned into a tsunami.
The incarcerated rapper received some much needed good news on Wednesday (May 26) as a judge ruled Jim Jones no longer has control of his publishing or recording rights.
XXL is reporting that the judge ruled Max has completed obligations under both his 2005 recording contract and 2007 publishing deals. Max was once a part of Jones' Byrd Gang before the two had a falling out.
Now Max can finally release his debut album 'Vigilante Season'.
Amalgam Digital will be putting the album out on it's indie label although the release date has not been set.
Max also got good news recently regarding his prison sentence for his role in a 2005 robbery that left one man dead. He was granted an appeal in the case and is waiting a trial date.
Philadelphia rapper Freeway, known for his unique flow and association with Jay-Z, sat down with Hard Knock TV to talk about what he's been up to recently.
With a new label situation at Rhyme Sayers, Freezer compares being there to his days at Roc-A-Fella Records.
"At the Roc, just like Rhyme Sayers we had creative control of our project. Both of my albums at Roc-A-Fella I just went in did what I did and turned the albums in, it's the same way with Rhyme Sayers. Towards the end of my career with Roc-a-Fella when everything was falling apart. The attention shifted from us [the artists] to what was going on with Jay and Dame and all that. And they wasn't concentrating on our projects as much as they should have."
Freeway has watched as the Roc dynasty crumbled. Being a part of State Property with Beanie Sigel, Peedi Crakk, Young Gunz and Oschino & Sparks has put Freezer in an uneasy position.
For the most part he's been quiet and not taken sides as Beanie has taken his beef with Jay-Z public, but he understands the situation.
"Sh*t is f*cked up man, me being a part of it I just wish sh*t was how it was. I know Jay love Beans, I know Beans love Jay. Communication is the key, if you don't know what's on that man's mind and you aint talked to him in months you liable to think anything."
As bad as things seem now, Freeway wouldn't rule out a Roc reunion.
"If Jay and Nas can do some sh*t together. Communication is the key, if we can communicate now maybe we can get it done, If not f*ck it."
T.I. said he isn't dissing mixtape DJs or making a disparaging statement about the mixtape circuit by naming his new street project F--- a Mixtape. Rather, the King of the South said, he's actually going up against people who tried to discourage him from making a mixtape at this point in his multiplatinum, Grammy-winning career.
"F--- a mixtape" was a common response T.I. got when he started telling people that he was, in fact, going to drop a mixtape before he put out his King Uncaged LP, due in August. Some felt Tip should just focus on the album, while others thought he should do a film. Nah. Tip wanted to give back to the streets.
"There's so many songs I have recorded [for King Uncaged]," he told Mixtape Daily earlier this week in NYC. "I already have 60, 70 songs. A lot of these songs are period pieces that speak volumes to what's going on right now. If I hold onto them next year or the year after, they'll be dated, because my life will be in another direction. If I'm not gonna put it on the album — and they all can't make the album — then they might as well have another platform to present it to the world. Me, myself, personally, I feel that although I haven't done mixtapes, it's not 'cause I can't. It's 'cause I have so many other pressing issues that are on my plate, I have chose to work on that.
"F--- a Mixtape, that's in no way a direct shot to a DJ. 'Cause for other people, [a mixtape] works wonders. It do what it's supposed to do," he added. "For me, I do what I need to do. That's a common knowledge around the industry. I got enough music to go around. I can drop a song a day three or five years straight and still be cool. But F--- a Mixtape, it got the response it was supposed to get. It got people thinking, it got people talking, and it generated a demand."
F--- a Mixtape is co-hosted by DJ Drama and DJ MLK and features guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Mike Bigga, Young Jeezy, MacBoney and Tip's cousin Rich Kid Rashad. Jamie Foxx appears on the tape's intro, and Lil Duval and Kevin Hart do skits and interludes. Meanwhile, Swizz Beatz, Lil C, Smash Factory and DJ Toomp are among the producers. F--- a Mixtape drops Thursday night (May 27) via LiveMixtapes.com.
F--- a Mixtape's track list, according to DJ Drama:
1. "Intro" (Jamie Foxx)
2. "Welcome Back to the Trap" (produced by Smash Factory)
3. "Spazz Out" (produced by Swizz Beatz)
4. "Whatcha Saying Tip" (produced by Chuck Diesel)
5. "Yeah" (featuring Lil Wayne and produced by Lil C)
6. "Yeah Ya Know" (produced by DJ Toomp and Lil C)
7. "Once Upon a Time"
8. "Here We Go Again" (produced by Timbaland)
9. "Get Yo Girl (featuring Rich Kid Rashad and produced by Jim Jonsin)
10. "Like So" (produced by Lil C)
11. "Gettin' Paid" (produced by Track Slayers)
12. "F--- a Mixtape N---a!!!" (Lil Duval)
13. "Really Livin' Like That" (produced by DJ Toomp)
14. "Whether You Like It or Not" (produced by Amadeus)
15. "Shooting Range" (Jamie Foxx)
16. "No Competition" (featuring Young Jeezy and produced by Black Mob)
17. "Bi--- Who" (featuring MacBoney and produced by Lil C)
18. "Ready Set Go" (featuring Mike Bigga and produced by No I.D.)
19. "F--- a Mixtape" (Kevin Hart)
20. "Outro"
21. "Celebration" (produced by J-Rock)
Bonus track: "Got Your Back" (featuring Keri Hilson and produced by DJ Toomp)
Looks like the music world has a new power couple.
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz are officialy engaged and expecting their first child according to CNN.
The news was confirmed by Alicia's publicist today. Internet rumors had begun to circulate that Keys was pregnant due to her noticeably fuller stomach in recent weeks.
Alicia, 29 and Swizz, 31 plan to marry later this year in a private ceremony.
"They're very happy," a source close to the couple said.
1. Jamie Foxx – Intro 2. Welcome Back To The Trap (prod. Smash Factory) 3. Spazz Out (prod. Swizz Beatz) 4. Whatcha Saying Tip (prod. Chuck Diesel) 5. Yeah f. Lil Wayne (Produced by Lil C) 6. Yeah Ya Know (prod. DJ Toomp & Lil C) 7. Once Upon A Time 8. Here We Go Again (prod. Timbaland) 9. Get Yo Girl f. Rich Kid Rashad (prod. Jim Jonsin) 10. Like So (prod. Lil C) 11. Gettin Paid (prod. Track Slayers) 12. Lil Duval – Fuck A Mixtape Nigga! 13. Really Livin Like That (prod. DJ Toomp) 14. Whether You Like It Or Not (prod. Amadeus) 15. Jamie Foxx – Shooting Range 16. No Competition f. Young Jeezy (prod. Black Mob) 17. Bitch Who f. Macboney (prod. Lil C) 18. Ready Set Go f. Killer Mike (prod. No I.D.) 19. Kevin Hart – Fuck A Mixtape 20. Outro 21. Celebration (prod. J-Rock) 22. Got Your Back f. Keri Hilson (prod. DJ Toomp)
**UPDATE** Gary Coleman's family is reporting today (May 28) that he is on life support and unconscious with an intracranial hemorrhage according to the New York Post. They are also reporting that he has not yet undergone surgery as previous reports had indicated because of his grave condition
The 42-year-old former child actor was taken to the hospital after suffering a head injury during a fall. The actor's brother-in-law told TMZ that Coleman is listed in critical condition, saying he was taken from his home in Utah to the hospital around 12:50 p.m. Wednesday.
TMZ also reported that Coleman had what was thought to be a seizure while doing a TV interview in February for "The Insider." At the time, sources on set told the website that Dr. Drew was with the actor as part of a panel and helped Coleman until paramedics showed up on the scene. The site also reported that Coleman was hospitalized in January for what might have been a seizure.
Coleman's manager told E! News that "we're just getting bits and pieces right now, so there's really nothing to report. If there's anything to announce, we'll let you know."
Coleman, who first became famous for playing Arnold Drummond on the TV series "Diff'rent Strokes," also has a congenital kidney disease and receives frequent dialysis. Coleman had heart surgery last fall that became complicated by pneumonia, his attorney Randy Kester told The Associated Press.
The AP also reports that Coleman has lived in Utah since 2005, when he moved there to star in a comic film called "Church Ball," which is based on the basketball leagues formed by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Coleman and his wife, Shannon Price, met on the set of the film and married in 2007.
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