Dora Hopkins was born in San Diego, California. She attended Vista High School in Vista, California where she grew to appreciate music, theater and television/film production. She graduated from California State University, Northridge, receiving her B.A. in Cinema and Television Arts. Her career as a script supervisor began when she meet and began to study with legendary script supervisor, Robert Gary.

Mr. Gary was known for his work on films such as, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), 4 for Texas (1963), Hush...Hush Sweet Charlotte (1964), The Flight Of The Phoenix (1965) and the western, The Searchers (1956), directed by John Ford, starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter and Vera Miles. Dora has scripted over sixty feature films; four of those projects in the western genre that Robert Gary loved. Unfortunately, Mr. Gary passed away weeks before Hopkins began principle photography on her first western, Love Begins (2011). Dora resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband, Larry Hopkins.