Remembering Gene Hackman
Never one to crave the spotlight, Gene Hackman let his work speak for itself. And it spoke volumes. One of the greatest actors of his generation, Hackman won awards, praise and respect for those who knew him and worked with him. and here we remember the great actor via his greatest performances.
Buck Barrow: "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967)
Hackman had done a few movies and episodes of television already, but Buck Barrow in Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde was his coming out party of sorts in Hollywood. It made him a known quantity and it earned him his first Oscar nomination (Best Supporting Actor).
Warner Bros., Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Gene Garrison: "I Never Sang for My Father" (1970)
His next nomination came just three years later. Another Supporting Actor nod—this time for playing Gene Garrison in I Never Sang for My Father—about a college professor's relationship with his domineering father.
I Never Sang For My Father (1970), Columbia Pictures
Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: "The French Connection" (1971)
His third Academy Award nomination (and first win) came the following year in the role that he became best known for in his career—NYPD detective Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle, in William Friedkin's brilliant The French Connection. Hackman was now officially a movie star.
Twentieth Century Fox , The French Connection (1971)
Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: "The French Connection II" (1975)
Five years later John Frankenheimer would take the helm of the franchise for the sequel—The French Connection II. While the movie itself was not in the same league as the first film, Hackman's performance is again, stellar.
20th Century Studios, The French Connection II (1975)
Max Millan: "Scarecrow" (1973)
Hackman starred alongside Al Pacino in this road comedy-drama that tied for the top prize at Cannes and had become a cult favorite in the intervening decades since its relatively unsuccessful run in theatres in 1973.
Warner Bros., Scarecrow (1973)
Harold: "Young Frankenstein" (1974)
Hackman made a fun little cameo as Harold, the blind man in Mel Brooks' awesome 1974 comedic-take on the classic Frankenstein story.
Young Frankenstein (1974), 20th Century
Harry Moseby: "Night Moves" (1975)
Hackman teamed up again with Bonnie and Clyde director Arthur Penn for this "seminal modern noir work from the 1970s"—Night Moves. Harry is a former pro football player who becomes an LA private investigator. Hackman picked up a BAFTA nomination for his work in the movie.
Warner Bros, Night Moves (1975)
Harry R. Caul: "The Conversation" (1974)
It seems like Hackman was getting cast as Harrys and Harolds a lot at this time—And the year before he was Harry Moseby, he was surveillance expert Harry R. Caul in One of the true masterpieces of the 1970s—Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation. The film earned 3 Oscar nominations (including: Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay), and Hackman picked up another one of his 7 career BAFTA nominations.
The Directors Company, The Conversation (1974)
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Lex Luthor: "Superman" (1978)
As we've seen over the last few decades—it isn't easy to make a good Superman movie. Well, in 1978 Richard Donner made a good one and Gene Hackman, as Lex Luthor, deserves at least a little credit for its success. His ability to play the comedy and the evil genius thing was fun to watch. He even picked up a Best Actor in a Supporting Role BAFTA nom.
Lex Luthor: "Superman II" (1980)
Is it as great as the first one? Probably not. But Superman II was a good movie and Hackman still rules the roost as Lex Luthor.
Superman II (1980), Columbia Pictures
Lex Luthor: "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" (1987)
Sure, Quest For Peace might be the worst of the OG Superman films—but Hackman is still great.
Warner Bros, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
Coach Norman Dale: "Hoosiers" (1986)
This inspirational sports drama has been making grown men cry for decades. Hackman's hard-nosed Coach Norman Dale is the precursor to so many other coach-inspires-team-to-greatness stories that have come since.
Orion Pictures, Hoosiers (1986)
George Dupler: "All Night Long" (1981)
Of his performance in this 1981 rom-com opposite Barbara Streisand, critic Pauline Kael said, "Gene Hackman, whose specialty has been believable, lived-in characters, gives one of his most likable performances."
Universal Pictures, All Night Long (1981)
Defense Secretary David Brice: "No Way Out" (1987)
This 1987 thriller stands at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and Hackman is great opposite Kevin Costner and Sean Young.
Orion Pictures, No Way Out (1987)
FBI Agent Rupert Anderson: "Mississippi Burning" (1988)
Hackman picked up his 4th Oscar nomination for his portrayal of FBI Agent Rupert Anderson in this 1988 crime thriller based on the real life disappearance of 3 civil rights activists in rural Mississippi in 1964. The National Board of Review named him Best Actor that year.
Orion Pictures, Mississippi Burning (1988)
John Herod: "The Quick and the Dead" (1995)
Hackman starred alongside Sharon Stone, Russell Crowe, and Leonardo DiCaprio in Sam Raimi's revisionist Western, The Quick and the Dead—as the outlaw-turned-mayor of the Old West town of Redemption.
But as good as this Western was, and as good as Hackman was in it—there is one Western that he will always be associated with...
Sony Pictures, The Quick and the Dead (1995)
Sheriff "Little" Bill Daggett: "Unforgiven" (1992)
With his magnificent performance in Unforgiven, Hackman won his second Oscar (this time in a Supporting Role) 21 years after he took home his first. He was hesitant at first to take the role (his daughters felt he was appearing in too many westerns)—but director Clint Eastwood convinced him to do it.
Warner Bros., Unforgiven (1992)
Captain Franklin "Frank" Ramsey: "Crimson Tide"(1995)
1995 was a great year for Hackman. Along with The Quick and the Dead, he also co-starred opposite Denzel Washington in the tense submarine action thriller, Crimson Tide. And he made a third great film that year also...
Buena Vista Pictures, Crimson Tide (1995)
Harry Zimm: "Get Shorty" (1995)
Hackman got to work his comedy chops as B-movie director Harry Zimm in Barry Sonnenfeld's awesome gangster comedy, Get Shorty. And if we look at his next film, Hackman kept the streak alive with his 4th good movie in a row to start off 1996.
Senator Kevin Keeley: "The Birdcage" (1996)
Hackman understood his role in The Birdcage was to be the object of many jokes and he played it to perfection—allowing the campiness and big characters around him to shine and getting his moments when needed. The "Final exchange of dialogue, involving Hackman's character, brings down the house", wrote Vanity Fair.
Alex Grazier: "Under Fire" (1983)
This 1983 political thriller about the final days of the Nicaraguan revolution put Hackman opposite Nick Nolte and earned him one of his 8 Golden Globe nominations.
Orion Pictures, Under Fire (1983)
Harry Mackenzie: "Twice in a Lifetime" (1985)
Hackman picked up another one of those Golden Globe nominations playing a steel-worker going through a midlife crisis, Harry Mackenzie in Twice in a Lifetime. Notice that it's yet another "Harry".
Bud Yorkin Productions, Twice in a Lifetime (1985)
President Alan Richmond: "Absolute Power" (1997)
Hackman teamed up with Eastwood again for this 1997 political thriller. It sure isn't as good as Unforgiven, but Hackman as the president. Few actors would seem like a better choice than that.
Columbia Pictures, Absolute Power (1997)
General Mandible: "Antz" (1998)
Hackman brought his gruff, tough guy persona, and voice, to the role of General Mandible—the bad guy in the Dreamworks Animation film, Antz.
Edward "Brill" Lyle: "Enemy of the State" (1998)
Hackman played a surveillance expert in Enemy of the State—which you might remember was the same occupation as his character in The Conversation. In fact, for the photo of Edward "Brill" Lyle in his file, they used a photo of Hackman from The Conversation.
Buena Vista Pictures, Enemy of the State (1998)
Coach Jimmy McGinty: "The Replacements" (2000)
Two years after playing a surveillance expert for the second time, Hackman saw the word "coach" in front of his character's name again, in The Replacements—loosely based on the Washington football team during the 1987 NFL strike.
Warner Bros, The Replacements (2000)
Royal O'Reilly Tenenbaum: "The Royal Tenenbaums" (2001)
Hackman might've been hesitant to take the role, but he was always director Wes Anderson's first choice to play Royal O'Reilly Tenenbaum. In fact, to quote Anderson, the part "was written for him against his wishes." Thankfully his agent was able to convince him to take it–and he would go on to earn multiple nominations and a Golden Globe win for the performance.
Touchstone Pictures, The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Rankin Fitch: "Runaway Jury" (2003)
Hackman and Dustin Hoffman had been friends since they were both no-name struggling actors in New York City. Finally in 2002, the two acting legends got to work together—although in the film they are opposite sides with Hoffman playing a lawyer and Hackman a sleazy win-at-all-costs jury consultant for the other side.
New Regency Productions, Runaway Jury (2003)
Monroe "Eagle" Cole: "Welcome to Mooseport" (2004)
The 2004 comedy Welcome to Mooseport was a box office and critical failure, but we wanted to mention it because it was Gene Hackman's final film role.
20th Century Studios, Welcome to Mooseport (2004)
Retirement
In 2007 during a Larry King interview Hackman talked about not having any projects on the horizon and thinking his acting career was done. In 2008 he gave a more direct statement of retirement. And on that subject in 2009 he had this to say: "The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York. The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress."
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Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
