10 Craziest Method Acting Behind Great Performances
3. Dennis Hopper Went Wild (And Took Acid) - Apocalypse Now
Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now is something like method filmmaking. In order to properly capture a descent into madness by way of a journey through a deep jungle, the auteur and his crew flew to the jungle and promptly went mad. Few embraced the challenge more keenly than the always-open minded Dennis Hopper.
His role is a small one, but Hopper creates an indelible character as the Photojournalist. His preparation for the role was to venture into the wilderness, drop a load of acid, and wait for the cameras to find him. Coppola, who had bigger issues to contend with at the time, didn’t even try to corral Hopper, instead allowing him carte blanche to run wild onscreen.
It worked wonders - Hopper had descended so deep into his “character” (that’s a bit strong - really it’s just Hopper with a camera draped round his neck) that Coppola simply trained his lens on the actor, filmed him yammering away for a while, and had one of the film’s most iconic moments without even putting pen to paper.
His part isn’t a large one, but his wild presence reflects both the film itself and the circumstances in which it was made. It’s a truly organic performance.