Hollybollywood

Dennis Hopper received a much needed boost this morning, making a rare public appearance as he accepted the 2,403rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The two-time Oscar nominee, who is in the midst of both a debilitating battle against prostate cancerand an increasingly acrimonious divorce, arrived for the ceremony just before 11:30 a.m.

Jack Nicholson, Viggo Mortensen, David Lynch, Michael Madsen, Danny Trejo, Johnny Mathis andDwight Yoakam were among the celebrity friends and costars who turned up to fete the ailing 73-year-old, who blamed a paparazzi-induced fall outside his home for the bandages he was sporting on his face and hand.

"Everyone here today that I've invited [has] enriched my life tremendously," Hopper said.

"They've shown me a world that I would never have seen being a farm boy from Dodge City, Kan., and learning things I would never have learned.

"Everything I've learned in my life I learned from you and the wonderful world that I traveled and saw...well, I got it all from you. This has been my home and my school. And I love all of you. I just want to thank you. This means so much to me, and thank you very much, everyone."