Chris Brochu wears Hopper’s hat in “The Big Cigar”
Chris Brochu is currently playing Dennis Hopper in the new Apple TV series, “The Big Cigar.” As we were already featuring Dennis Hopper on our cover, we reached out to
Brochu to get the scoop.
Lynne Robinson: Please tell our readers a little about yourself.
Chris Brochu:
Hello Taos Tempo family! My name is Chris Brochu and I’m an actor/musician/teacher/carpenter living in Taos.
LR: You are playing Dennis Hopper (also a former Taos resident) in the new AppleTV limited series, “The Big Cigar” set to premiere May 17. Can you tell us a little about the project? CB:
“The Big Cigar” follows Huey P. Newton, the leader of the Black Panther Party back in 1971, as Hollywood producer Bert Schneider and his band of anti-establishment actors help smuggle Huey safely to Cuba and out of the reach of the FBI. You can watch it this Friday, May 17 on AppleTV!
LR: How did you prepare for the role? CB: I just immersed myself into everything Hopper from birth up until 1972. I studied “The American Dreamer,” “The Last Movie,” “Easy Rider” and any [and] every interview he gave from around that time. I listened to books about his life (“Hollywood Hellraisers” was a great resource for me), studied his photography, watched his movies and looked into the art/artists that he loved. This role felt like a gift from The Universe/ God/Hopper so I put my whole heart into the preparation process to make sure I represented Hopper to the best of my ability. I mean ANY other actor in the world could have booked this role ... but it went to me ... an actor who lives in Taos.
LR: How did your impression of Hopper change during the making of this series?
CB: I knew of Dennis Hopper before booking this role but I had never gone down the Hopper Rabbit Hole before ... so I had a blast doing my research. The main impression I got from studying Dennis was that he was the definition of a “true creative” and he was determined to live a creative life. He truly cared about the art and the artist and he kept his fingers on the many different creative pulses of the time. His art collection, from the beginning, was filled with works he acquired from legendary artists before the world knew who they were. He was a tastemaker/ creative curator, it’s as if he knew what would fade away and what would last. He supported real artists, he used his art to support real visionaries and he had the backbone put his foot down when he felt it was necessary, creative or otherwise. He was stubborn, hard-headed, hot-headed, curious, generous ... all of those things . ... But my favorite thing about Hopper is that he always injected his “heart” into his art ... that takes honesty and vulnerability ... and I dig that.
LR: What’s next for Chris Brochu? CB:
You’ll find me auditioning, coaching students, writing songs and playing shows (Rolling Still [for] Taos Roundup [ July 4), building houses ... and now that summer is upon us you will probably bump into me down by the river. Also! Those of you who are interested in acting, stay tuned! I’m going to be hosting a FREE intro to acting [class] at Wildflower Theater. Date [and] time coming soon! You can follow me on social media at @ christopher_m_brochu or check out my website, chris-brochu.com, for further details!