1936- . US film actor and director who caused
a sensation with Easy Rider 1969, the
archetypal `road' film, but whose later The
Last Movie 1971 was poorly received by the
critics. He made a comeback in the 1980s. His
work as an actor includes Rebel Without a
Cause 1955, The American Friend/Der
amerikanische Freund 1977, and Blue Velvet
1986.