Mad Dog Hopper meets Mad Dog Ross.
The American actor, Dennis Hopper, most famous for his helium inhaling Frank “Don’t you fucking look at me” Booth in the 1986 psychological thriller Blue Velvet, ripped an Andy Warhol painting from the wall of his house and replaced it with a tow-board, says Ross Clarke-Jones.
Ross, whose nickname Mad Dog references Hopper’s lead role in the Australian new wave classic Mad Dog Morgan, enjoyed a day date with Hopper following the actor’s work on Clarke-Jones’ bio-movie The Sixth Element from 2006.
It was Kelly Slater, says Ross, who organised the superstar actor, director and photographer to do the movie’s voiceover with Red Hot Chilli Peppers bassist Flea ready to step in if Hopper said no.
“I wanted a Hollywood star to narrate and I said, how are we going to do that, and, I thought, Kelly knows a few people,” says Ross.
The movie’s original voiceover was made by Australian actor Peter Phelps, a thespian of some note in the island nation’s well-regarded acting community, although his work was quickly erased when word came that Hopper was in.
“Me and Peter were in the casino together and Kelly rang me and he said, ‘Would you like Flea from the Chilli Peppers or Dennis Hopper?’
Ross looked at Phelps and said, “I know you’ve done a good job but Hopper or Flea?”
On the phone, Ross asked if he might consider the matter before making a decision.
“Mate,” Kelly said, “I’ve got Dennis Hopper and Flea on the line.”
“Dennis Hopper!” said Ross.
Hopper didn’t charge a dime for his work and took Ross on a day-date even allowing the notoriously wild driver to take the reins of his vintage Jaguar.
“I was doing 150 miles an hour on the 405, Hopper’s doing great, talking about his sixth wife, so calm, he felt like my father. I felt like I’d known him all my life.”
Ross presented Hopper with an old Jaws tow board as a gift, which Hopper then mounted on the wall of his house, removing a Warhol painting to make room for the Maurice Cole hand-shape.
“It was amazing having someone talking about you like that,” says Ross.
That story, and a myriad other tales, tall and true, below.
Art Buddy.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Fun Fact: Dennis Hopper invented hopscotch.
Absolutely true. *
* Total bollocks.
Great tall tale, now put down the bong!
Dennis hopper was the man. I watched speed the other day. Embarrassingly I still loved it. True romance was also fucking awesome. If I recall he got shot for saying a Sicilian gangsters great great great great grandmother shagged a black man and that’s why he is tanned.
Let’s be honest, does anyone really want some garish picture of some tins of soup on their wall? No, I thought not. Now go and put it in the basement to keep your investment safe, that’s why ya really got it.
He probly thought he looks dodge and would steal it
Hopper was a real art collector, and also an aspiring artist when younger. I do agree though, soup cans are kinda blah. https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
No but I’d hang a large size painting of the Velvet Underground cover on my wall….half peeled.
I think i would like Anthony kiedis to narrate a biopic of my life
He could make anything sound interesting and cool…well, almost anything
Are you fucking kidding? He sucks, and his music sucks worse.
“I am forever near a stereo asking ‘what the fuck is this garbage?’ and the answer is always The Red Hot Chilli Peppers” – Nick Cave
The Prince of Darkness himself, and Warren Ellis, had Flea playing bass with them recently! Sad.
Yeah what the world needed was the Dirty Four with Flea on bass.
Ouch ! ha ha
His own one was so boring. Broke up with my supermodel Girlfriend, got back on the smack. Repeat…
There are three descriptions here about how the Warhol was taken from the wall and replaced with one of Ross’s old boards.
Tore
Ripped
Removed
Which one was it Derek ?
WHICH ONE WAS IT ?
From this rash of RCJ stuff , one assumes the settlement was not balanced in his favour.
took this lowers circa 2005
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Kelly, Hopper shoulder hopper.
Love all of this story but there’s no, not once, that the 405 opens enough to 150.
Idk I used to hit 100+ in my Accord just blending in with all the other ants…and was still getting passed.
I think he hit hit his head as well when slipping from the survivor rope.
This is so damn funny! Watching the beginning of this video is so weird but necessary because it prepares you for the ending.
That still of Dennis would make an excellent neck tat.
Somehow I don’t think Franky-boy was implied to be inhaling helium.
His voice would’ve gone all squeaky.
my memory was that the mask was attached to nothing, not even a cannister, so he was inhaling air.
According to Hopper it would have been amyl nitrate. Not sure why anyone would inhale helium except to make your voice squeaky.
To be fair if he had been doing helium and then did the squeaky voice with all the rage, that would have been pretty damned creepy.