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Dennis Hopper brings over five decades of acting and directorial experience to the cast of Sleepwalking. His myriad film and television credits over the years include such titles as Easy Rider, Hoosiers, Blue Velvet, Waterworld, True Romance, Speed and starring roles in the hit TV series 24 and E-Ring, among many, many others. Upcoming releases include such films as Elegy, Hell Ride and Swing Vote.

Born in Kansas and raised in San Diego, Hopper began his long and distinguished career after his graduation from high school, appearing in stage productions at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and the La Jolla Playhouse and on numerous television shows before making his feature film debut in Johnny Guitar. Shortly after that, he appeared opposite James Dean and Natalie Wood in Rebel Without A Cause and then again with Dean in Giant. He followed that with roles in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and From Hell to Texas.

After studying with Lee Strasberg in New York for five years, Hopper starred in over 140 television shows including The Rifleman, Naked City, The Defenders, The Twilight Zone and Wagon Train, as well as John Frankenheimer's live production of The Last Summer for Studio One and George Roy Hill's Carnival opposite Natalie Wood, among many others. He also starred on Broadway as Franchot Tone's son in Mandingo.

Upon his return to Hollywood, the actor worked in features such as True Grit, Hang ‘Em High, Cool Hand Luke, Night Tide and Key Witness, and went on to star in several low-budget films for A.I.P., including cult classic The Trip, directed by Roger Corman, written by Jack Nicholson script and starring Peter Fonda; and The Glory Stompers. Hopper directed second unit sequences for both projects.

In 1969, Hopper made his directorial debut with the landmark feature Easy Rider, in which he co-starred Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson. The script, written by Hopper, Fonda, and Terry Southern, was nominated for an Academy Award; Nicholson also received an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor. Made at a cost of $340,000, the film grossed in excess of $50 million. At the Cannes Film Festival, Hopper was named Best New Director. The success of Easy Rider opened the doors of opportunity for young filmmakers to work in Hollywood. In 1985, Hopper re-emerged as a leading actor in films such as David Lynch's cult classic Blue Velvet, River's Edge and Hoosiers, for which he received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. In 1988, he directed the highly acclaimed and successful Colors starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall.

In addition to acting and directing, Hopper is a noted photographer and painter. Many exhibitions of his work have been mounted throughout the United States, Europe and Japan, in both galleries and major museums. He has had three books of his photographs published: Abstract Reality, Out of the Sixties and 1712 North Crescent Heights, a collection of photographs from the 1960s when he lived at this Hollywood address.

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