Following Dennis Hopper’s death, Easy Rider co-star Peter Fonda has come forward with a statement.

“Dennis [Hopper] introduced me to the world of Pop Art and ‘lost’ films. We rode the highways of America and changed the way movies were made in Hollywood. I was blessed by his passion and friendship,” Fonda said of his friend and co-star, who passed away on May 31 due to complications associated with prostate cancer.

Many credit Easy Rider as an historic film, which created a “new Hollywood” to help change filmmaking. Fonda produced the movie, with Hopper directing. The two, along with Terry Southern, were nominated for Best Screenplay in 1970.