What are the odds that Dennis Hopper would die at 74 and Gary Coleman would die the day before at 42? What strange alignment of the stars does this portend?
Some thoughts: the song “It Sucks to Be Me” from “Avenue Q”, which is rendered by (supposedly) Gary Coleman will not be nearly as fun now. As for Hopper, I’m thinking about his turbulent love life…which, come to think of it, Coleman also was experiencing in his final days. And I’m remembering the ad that Hopper did not too long ago for oldsters and Baby Boomers, standing on a beach extolling the virtues of old age and how to enjoy it. I don’t know about you, but with a Mom who lived to be 95, I’m thinking that 74 isn’t that “old.” (Dad only made it to 84, but he’d have lasted longer if Mayo Clinic had ever given him a colonoscopy, which was not routine in his trips there back in the day.)
Even as he lay dying, Hopper was locked in a bitter feud with his ex-ballerina wife, and Coleman’s romance with his last bride seemed to be on the skids.
Rest in peace, guys. I’m just glad that they got the star on Hollywood’s sidewalk done for you, Dennis, before “Easy Rider” and “Apocalypse Now” and even that last halfway decent zombie movie role fade from memory.
R.I.P.
