William Hopper was a prominent American actor best known for his iconic role as Paul Drake, the loyal private investigator in the classic television series Perry Mason (1957–1966). Born into a family deeply rooted in the entertainment industry — his mother, Hedda Hopper, was a legendary Hollywood columnist, and his father, DeWolf Hopper Jr., was an actor — Hopper developed a strong connection to the world of film and television from an early age. Though he appeared in several films during the 19