In a December 1994 interview on the "Charlie Rose Show", Hopper credited John Wayne with saving his career, as Hopper acknowledged that because of his insolent behavior, he could not find work in Hollywood for seven years. Hopper stated that because he was the son-in-law of actress Margaret Sullavan, a friend of John Wayne, Wayne hired Hopper for a role in "The Sons of Katie Elder" (1965), also directed by Hathaway, which enabled Hopper to restart his film career. Hopper acted in another John Wayne film, "True Grit" (1969), and during its production, he became well acquainted with Wayne. In both of the films with Wayne, Hopper's character is killed in the presence of Wayne's character, to whom he utters his dying words.