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Illeana Douglas Blames Dennis Hopper

Connecticut Public Radio | By Betsy Kaplan
Published January 12, 2016 at 12:34 PM EST
Chion Wolf
/
WNPR
Illeana Douglas

Life changed dramatically for Illeana Douglas in 1969 when her parents fell in love with the two Harley-riding hippies in the Dennis Hopper - Peter Fonda classic, "Easy Rider." They decided to trade in their middle-class life for a wild ride filled with free spirits, free love and Hollywood.

It turns out, she kind of liked the life. She pursued Hollywood in movies like "To Die For," and "Grace of My Heart " and others.  As a matter of fact, she's been in and out of cinema her whole life, honing other talents as a musician and writer along the way.

She talks about her love of that life in her new memoir, " I Blame Dennis Hopper: And Other Stories from a Life Lived In and Out of the Movies." She'll also be at the Mark Twain House and Museum this Wednesday, January 13 at 7 pm.

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  • Illeana Douglas - Actress, director, writer, musician.

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Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
Betsy Kaplan
Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows.
See stories by Betsy Kaplan

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

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If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.