Dennis Hopper, Gary Coleman, Rue Mcclanahan – RIP

It is said that bad things happen in threes, and this week’s RIP list pretty much sums that up. Dennis Hopper, Gary Coleman, and Rue Mcclanahan all passed away in the last few days, kicking in many memories of 60s, 70s, and 80s culture.

Dennis Hopper is probably best known for his role in Easy Rider, the 60’s look at two bikers going across country for kicks, drugs, and girls. More recently, Hopper had been the spokeman for a retirement planning firm, which certainly shows how times flies. He died of cancer way too early, at 74.

Rue Mcclanahan is best known for her roles along side the late Bea Arthur, first in the wildly successful show Maude, and then on the Emmy Award winning The Golden Girls. Her career spanned stage and the screen, and passing leaves only Betty White as the last of the Golden Girls with us.

Gary Coleman is the best known for his childhood role in the immensely popular show Diff’rent Stokes, where he played the wise cracking younger son Arnold. He died as a result of a fall, at a young 42. Since his time on the TV show, he has spent much of his career as a sort of classic B list celeb, moving from odd project to odd project, often making fun of himself and his small stature, and getting into trouble often enough to keep his name in the news.

Three stars in a week, it’s never a good time to see them go. RIP all of you, your contributions to our common culture will live on for you.