With the help of a friend to come forward to the stage, Dennis Hopper is honored with the 2,403rd star on the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard.
- Mar 27, 2010
AceShowbiz - On Friday, March 26, ailing Dennis Hopper still showed a good spirit when he received the 2,403rd star on the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Egyptian Theater. Arriving for the ceremony just before 11:30 A.M., Hopper, who wore a heavy jacket and newsboy cap, took the stage with a help of a friend.
Looking frail after losing 100 pounds as he battles prostate cancer, the "Easy Rider" veteran used the moment to explain about bandages on his arm and above his eye. "Yesterday, I got up and out of the house and someone yelled 'Hey Dennis!' I thought I recognized the voice, so I kept walking and turned around but I didn't see the little ridge line in the road and I took a terrible fall because I have no muscle," he explained.
The 73 year old actor continued, "So I fell directly on my face, and I had my glasses in my hand. I got pretty screwed up. I know you [the paparazzi] have a tough job, but sometimes you should be a little more sensitive."
Hopper later delivered his thanks to family and friends, who accompanied him at the event, saying "Everyone here today that I've invited [has] enriched my life tremendously." He added, "Everything I've learned in my life, I learned from you and the wonderful world that I traveled and saw...well, I got it all from you. This has been my home and my school. And I love all of you. I just want to thank you. This means so much to me, and thank you very much, everyone."
Hopper was joined by fellow actors, including Jack Nicholson, David Lynch, Dwight Yoakam and Viggo Mortensen. Mortensen approached the microphone after kissing Hopper on the cheek, describing the "Blue Velvet" star as "a complete and fertile artist" who has been "a constant source of ideas, inspiration and humor for his friends and colleagues."
Although Dennis Hopper's attorney recently revealed that the actor is too ill to undergo chemotherapy and to be the subject of deposition in his divorce case with estranged wife Victoria Duffy, he was allowed to attend the Hollywood Walk of Fame honor by his doctor because the ceremony could be a positive experience for him.
