Hopper, now 73, is being treated at the University of Southern California. His manager says the actor is canceling all travel plans to focus on getting better.

Hopper also voiced a couple of other video game characters in games I've never heard of, like Walter Pensky in something called Black Dahlia. Bad video games or not, though, the cancer diagnosis is a real bummer. Especially since I happen to like the Super Mario Bros. movie — and Waterworld, but I'll deny that if you confront me about it in public.

And as a side note, remember that October is National Breast Cancer month. For those of you tempted not to care, 2,000 MEN are expected to be diagnosed with it this year. Scary, huh?

Dennis Hopper has prostate cancer [The Hollywood Reporter]
Image Cred

"(Producer) Roland Joffe wanted me to direct the Super Mario Bros. movie," says Ramis. "I took the meeting because I loved the game... I'm glad I said no."

Others who escaped the Super Mario Bros. cinematic train wreck include Danny DeVito, who turned down the role of Mario, and Kevin Costner, who passed on playing King Koopa.

Bob Hoskins accepted the role of Mario and later called the experience "a fucking nightmare". Dennis Hopper ultimately took the role of Koopa, recently saying that he did the picture so his son could have shoes. Nobody needs shoes that bad.

Ramis glad he passed on `Super Mario Bros.' film [AP via Game|Life]

Thornton tells a story about when he let a snake crawl in his hair while he was stuck in traffic. We're not sure what the hell Dennis Hopper is talking about. Then again, who is!

Oh! Apparently, Hopper's explaining the game's plot. There's also footage of him saying the same lines different ways and stroking his facial hair.

Watch the interviews in the embedded links below.

Dennis Hopper Interview and Billy Bob Thornton [TWG News via Go Nintendo]

Hopper plays George Struggs, the owner of a run-down gas station with a plot to get his hands on some Civil War gold. It's sort of a story within the story, with the humans thinking they are the stars when in reality the titular Deadly Creatures are the ones in the spotlight. Towards the end of the video, Hopper calms any fears that the game might be a flop, assuring us all that "gamers are going to love Deadly Creatures," and who knows gamers' tastes better than King Koopa himself?

THQ has announced that the two actors will be voicing human characters in the game, unfortunately not covering the lead roles of Scorpion and Tarantula, which is a shame as I couldn't imagine a more appropriate casting.

“What surprised me about Deadly Creatures is how it looks…like watching a movie,” said Billy Bob Thornton. “The scorpion and tarantula are like two actors meeting up for a gun fight.”

If you ask me, this is terrible news, but then I am an arachnophobe who is also a big fan of Hopper and Thornton. I just have to figure out if their voices will be enough to keep me from getting that itchy, jumpy feeling I am getting right just imagining playing the game.

Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Hopper to Voice Characters in THQ’s Wii-Exclusive, Deadly Creatures™
Award Winning Actors Bring Triple-A Talent to Action-Thriller Wii Title

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced that Academy Award® Winning actor Billy Bob Thornton and Academy Award® Nominated actor Dennis Hopper are lending their famous voices to THQ’s new action thriller Wii™ game: Deadly Creatures™. Critically recognized as a unique, one-of-a-kind Wii experience, Deadly Creatures is scheduled to hit retail outlets worldwide in February 2009.

“What surprised me about Deadly Creatures is how it looks…like watching a movie,” said Billy Bob Thornton. “The scorpion and tarantula are like two actors meeting up for a gun fight.”

“Gamers are really going to love Deadly Creatures,” added Dennis Hopper.

“Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Hopper’s involvement as the voice talent for the human characters in Deadly Creatures is a testament to the game’s high level of quality,” said Nick Wlodyka, General Manager, Rainbow Studios. “The AAA talent helps bring this cinematic storyline of greed and betrayal to life in a one-of–a-kind action-thriller exclusively on Wii.”

Deadly Creatures has been recognized by top media outlets as a very unique, stylized Wii experience.

“One of the most compelling third-party games to hit Nintendo’s console”
- IGN.com, October 2008

“The concept behind Deadly Creatures is unique and intriguing”
- Gamespot.com, July 2008

“Deadly Creatures definitely gets points for originality”
– 1up.com, July 2008

About Deadly Creatures

Deadly Creatures is a 3rd person action-thriller set amidst a desert world of venomous terror, exclusively for Wii. Players control an armored Scorpion and a deadly Tarantula as they fight for survival against Gila monsters, lizards, black widows and many more terrifying creatures. Featuring intuitive motion controls and a deep combo-based combat system, Deadly Creatures is a thrilling mix of brutal, creature-crushing action and suspenseful exploration of vast 360 degree desert and man-made environments. Gamers will explore this darkly compelling story through the eyes of two of the world’s most deadly creatures.

I made a picture called Super Mario Bros., and my six-year-old son at the time — he's now 18 — he said, 'Dad, I think you're probably a pretty good actor, but why did you play that terrible guy King Koopa in Super Mario Bros.?' and I said, 'Well Henry, I did that so you could have shoes,' and he said, 'Dad, I don't need shoes that badly.'

No one needs shoes that badly. No one.

Dennis Hopper [Late Night With Conan O'Brien via 1Up via Eurogamer]