‘American Graffiti’ actor Bo Hopkins dead at 80

Hollywood actor Bo Hopkins, best known for his roles in films like “American Graffiti” and “Wild Bunch,” has died at the age of 80.

The star’s death at a California hospital on Saturday came several weeks after the actor had experienced a heart attack.

Hopkins’ was confirmed by his wife Sian Hopkins, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The outlet reported that Hopkins died in Van Nuys, California at Valley Presbyterian Hospital.

One of the actor’s earliest film roles was playing Clarence “Crazy” Lee in the 1969 Sam Peckinpah film “The Wild Bunch.”

A few years later in 1973, he appeared in George Lucas’ breakout film “American Graffiti.”

In that film, he played the supporting character role of Joe “Little Joe” Young, a gang leader.

“Graffiti got people out draggin’ and going up, and down streets cruisin’,” the actor said of the classic car film, speaking to Shock Cinema magazine.

“It got people into cars doing that kind of stuff again.”

Decades later the actor was still appearing at classic car shows as a result of his role in American Graffiti, and the film’s popularity among car lovers.

“If I told you how many times people have come up to … me at these shows and told us that we’ve changed their lives, you wouldn’t believe it,” he said in the Shock Cinema interview.

This story originally appeared on The Sun and has been reproduced here with permission.