The Vibrant Life Of Rocky Dennis, The Boy Whose Rare Deformity Inspired The Film ‘Mask’

The Vibrant Life Of Rocky Dennis, The Boy Whose Rare Deformity Inspired The Film ‘Mask’

Rocky Dennis was born with an extremely rare bone dysplasia which caused his facial bone features to contort and grow at an abnormally fast rate. Doctors told his mother, Florence Dennis, that the boy would suffer multiple disabilities because of his disease, and would most likely die before he turned seven. Miraculously, Rocky Dennis beat the odds and lived a nearly normal life until he was 16. When Rocky Dennis died at age 16, he had already lived more than twice as long as doctors expected — and lived a fuller life than anyone thought possible. Rocky Dennis was born with an extremely rare bone dysplasia which caused his facial bone features to contort and grow at an abnormally fast rate. Doctors told his mother, Florence “Rusty” Dennis, that the boy would suffer multiple disabilities because of his disease, and would most likely die before he turned seven. Miraculously, Roy L. “Rocky” Dennis beat the odds and lived a nearly normal life until he was 16. This is the incredible story of the boy who inspired the 1985 film Mask. The spectacular story of Rocky Dennis’ perseverance and the special bond he shared with his mother caught the eye of Anna Hamilton Phelan, a young screenwriter who saw Dennis while visiting UCLA’s Center for Genetic Research. The result of that encounter was the biopic Mask which premiered seven years after Rocky Dennis’ death. The film, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starred teen actor Eric Stoltz as the ailing teenager and pop icon Cher as his mother, Rusty. The film won praise from both critics and general audiences. Because of the complicated prosthetics he donned to play the role, Stoltz often stayed in costume as Rocky Dennis even during filming breaks. According to Stoltz, seeing people’s response as he walked around the boy’s old neighborhood, where the film was shot, gave the actor a glimpse into the late teenager’s life. “People would not be entirely kind,” Stoltz said. “It was a very curious lesson to walk a mile in that boy’s shoes. Humanity revealed itself to be a bit ugly, at times.” While Hollywood no doubt took liberties to dramatize Dennis’ life story, some events portrayed in the film did happen. The real Rocky Dennis was indeed surrounded by his mother’s sober biker friends growing up. The night Rocky Dennis died, his mother and her biker friends did throw a party for him. The heartfelt poem Dennis’ character reads to his mother in the film was also real. Of course, like any other movie, Mask adjusted some realities for cinematic purposes. For one, the movie didn’t include Dennis’ half-brother, Joshua Mason, who later died from AIDS. In the film, Rocky Dennis is buried with baseball cards tucked into the flowers on his grave but his body was actually donated to UCLA for medical research and later cremated. Rocky Dennis didn’t get to live a long life but he lived it to the fullest. Through his humor and gentle tenacity, the teenager showed others that anything is possible so long as you believe in yourself. “It’s been scientifically proven that energy can’t be destroyed—it just takes another form,” his mother said after his death.

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