Actor, Motion Picture Director. Considered one of Hollywood's most outspoken and versatile actors, he appeared in over 150 motion pictures during his lifetime, working as both an actor and film director in a career that spanned over five decades. Known in the motion picture industry for his anti-establishment reputation, he was nominated for two Academy Awards during his professional career. His first Oscar nomination came for his work in the 1969 motion picture "Easy Rider" which he wrote, co-starred and directed, and as a Best Supporting Actor nominee for his work in the 1987 basketball classic "Hoosiers" with Gene Hackman. He made his motion picture debut in the 1955 film "Rebel Without a Cause," but it wasn't until his performance as a drug-induced motorcycle hippie in "Easy Rider," that launched him on path to international stardom. In 1979 he received critical acclaim for his screen performance as a maniacal Vietnam War photojournalist, working alongside Marlon Brando and Martin Sheen in the motion picture "Apocalypse Now." He became a fan favorite for his villainous portrayals as the mad bomber in the 1994 motion picture "Speed," and as the one-eyed leader of the "Smokers" in the post-apocalyptic film "Waterworld" (1995). His notable film credits include "Giant" (1956), "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" (1957), "Key Witness" (1960), "Cool Hand Luke" (1967), "Hang ‘Em High (1968), "True Grit" (1969), "Rumble Fish" (1983), "Blue Velvet" (1986), "Black Widow" (1987), "Blood Red" (1989), "Paris Trout" (1991), "The Blackout" (1997), "Lured Innocence" (1999), "The Spreading Ground" (2000), "The Piano Player" (2002), "Legacy" (2004) and "Alpha and Omega" in 2010. His notable television credits include: "Medic" "Cheyenne" "Studio One" "The Rifleman" "The Twilight Zone" "Wagon Train" "Petticoat Junction" "Bonanza" "Gunsmoke" "The Big Valley" "Saturday Night Live" "24" "Las Vegas" and "Crash." In 1997 he was voted as one of Hollywood's Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time by the British publication "Empire Magazine," and was the recipient of several lifetime achievement awards. During the final years of his life he appeared frequently on television as a commercial spokesman for Ameriprise Financial Services. Diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2002, he suffered a recurrence of the disease in October 2009, which ultimately resulted in his death. He made his final public appearance on Friday March 26, 2010 in Los Angeles, California, accepting a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.