Editing Dennis Hopper (section)

=== 1954–1966: Early roles ===
[[File:Dennis Hopper & Karen Sharpe - Conflict TV Promotional Photograph (1957).jpg|thumb|Hopper, aged 20, with actress [[Karen Sharpe]] in an April 1957 promotional photograph for an episode of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] television series ''[[Conflict (American TV series)|Conflict]]'']]
Hopper was reported to have had an uncredited role in ''[[Johnny Guitar]]'' in 1954, but he was quoted as saying he was not in Hollywood when the film was made.<ref name="AVCRR">Murray, Noel (December 2, 2008). [http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/random_roles_dennis_hopper Random Roles with Dennis Hopper] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203122236/http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/random_roles_dennis_hopper |date=December 3, 2008 }}. ''[[The A.V. Club]]'', Onion Inc. Retrieved May 29, 2010.</ref> Hopper made his debut on film in two roles with [[James Dean]] (whom he admired immensely) in ''[[Rebel Without a Cause]]'' (1955) and ''[[Giant (1956 film)|Giant]]'' (1956). Dean's death in a car accident in September 1955 affected the young Hopper deeply and it was shortly afterward that he got into a confrontation with veteran director [[Henry Hathaway]] on the film ''[[From Hell to Texas]]'' (1958). Hopper reportedly forced Hathaway to shoot more than 80 takes of a scene over several days before he acquiesced to Hathaway's direction. After filming was finally completed, Hathaway allegedly told Hopper that his career in Hollywood was finished.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wyatt|first=Edward|title=Dennis Hopper, 74, Hollywood Rebel, Dies|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/movies/30hopper.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 29, 2010|access-date=February 24, 2017|archive-date=March 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303051501/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/movies/30hopper.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In his book ''Last Train to Memphis'', American popular music historian [[Peter Guralnick]] says that in 1956, when [[Elvis Presley]] was making his first film in Hollywood, Hopper was roommates with fellow actor [[Nick Adams (actor, born 1931)|Nick Adams]] and the three became friends and socialized together. In 1959, Hopper moved to New York to study [[Method acting]] under [[Lee Strasberg]] at the [[Actors Studio]].<ref>Noever, Peter. ''Dennis Hopper: a System of Moments'', Hatje Cantz Publishers (2001) p. 258</ref> In 1961, Hopper played his first lead role in ''[[Night Tide]]'', an atmospheric supernatural thriller involving a mermaid in an amusement park. In a December 1994 interview on the ''[[Charlie Rose Show]]'', Hopper credited [[John Wayne]] with saving his career, as Hopper acknowledged that because of his insolent behavior, he could not find work in Hollywood for seven years. Hopper stated that, because of his marriage to Brooke Hayward, he was the son-in-law of actress [[Margaret Sullavan]], a friend of John Wayne, and Wayne hired Hopper for a role in ''[[The Sons of Katie Elder]]'' (1965), also directed by Hathaway, which enabled Hopper to restart his film career.<ref>Charlie Rose (December 21, 1994). [http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/7142 Dennis Hopper Interview] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608221033/http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/7142 |date=June 8, 2010}} (video). ''CharlieRose.com''; Charlie Rose LLC. Retrieved May 29, 2010.</ref>

Hopper debuted in an episode of the [[Richard Boone]] television series ''[[Medic (TV series)|Medic]]'' in 1955, portraying a young [[epilepsy|epileptic]]. He appeared in the first episode of the popular TV series ''[[The Rifleman]]'' (1958–1963) as the troubled orphan protagonist Vernon Tippet who is exploited by his greedy uncle. The series starred [[Chuck Connors]] and the premiere episode "The Sharpshooter" was written by [[Sam Peckinpah]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0686728/?ref_=ttep_ep1|title=The Sharpshooter|date=September 30, 1958|via=IMDb|access-date=March 23, 2020|archive-date=March 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309051943/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0686728/?ref_=ttep_ep1|url-status=live}}</ref> Hopper subsequently appeared in over 140 episodes of television shows such as ''[[Gunsmoke]]'', ''[[Bonanza]]'', ''[[Petticoat Junction]]'', ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'', ''[[The Barbara Stanwyck Show]]'', ''[[The Defenders (1961 TV series)|The Defenders]]'', ''[[The Investigators (1961 TV series)|The Investigators]]'', ''[[The Legend of Jesse James (TV series)|The Legend of Jesse James]]'', ''[[Entourage (U.S. TV series)|Entourage]]'', ''[[The Big Valley]]'', ''[[The Time Tunnel]]'', and ''[[Combat!]]''.