The Actor made all his Roles Memorable
Cast him in a movie, and Gene Hackman could accomplish just about anything.
He could play a dominating character (Capt. Franklin Ramsey in Crimson Tide) or fill a minor role (Harold, a blind hermit in Young Frankenstein). He was adept at drama (Gene Garrison, a conflicted son in I Never Sang for my Father, for which Hackman earned an Oscar nomination, for Best Supporting Actor), action (the Rev. Frank Scott, an outspoken minister in The Poseidon Adventure) and comedy (U.S. Sen. Kevin Keeley, an overly opinionated father in The Birdcage). Hackman could play the hero (Master Sgt. Johnny Gallagher in The Package) or the villain (Lex Luthor in three Superman movies).
About the only acting skill that Hackman never learned to master on-screen was to be boring.
He commanded attention, and he got it. In a Hollywood career that stretched across four decades, Hackman appeared in more than 80 films. He was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning twice.
Hackman died sometime last month at age 95. Authorities are investigating the mysterious circumstances after he and his wife, 65-year-old Betsy Arakawa, were found dead Feb. 26 in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, along with one of their three dogs.
Those who knew and worked with Hackman offered tributes.
“There was no finer actor than Gene,” said Clint Eastwood, who directed and co-starred with Hackman in 1992’s Unforgiven, for which Hackman won his second Oscar, for Best Supporting Actor. “Intense and instinctive. Never a false note. He was also a dear friend whom I will miss very much.”
Francis Ford Coppola directed Hackman in 1974’s The Conversation. He wrote on Instagram: “The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman [was] a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. I mourn his loss and celebrate his existence and contribution.”
“Getting to watch him up close, it was easy to see why he was one of our greatest. You could never catch him acting,” Nathan Lane, who co-starred with Hackman in 1996’s The Birdcage, said in a statement provided to USA TODAY. “Simple and true, thoughtful and soulful, with just a hint of danger. He was as brilliant in comedy as he was in drama, and thankfully his film legacy will live on forever. It was a tremendous privilege to get to share the screen with him and remains one of my fondest memories. Rest in peace, Mr. Hackman.”
Hackman was born in 1930 in San Bernardino, California. He served for several years in the U.S. Marine Corps and then moved to New York City. He attended college at the University of Illinois to study journalism and television production, but he left to return to California.
There, he joined the Pasadena Playhouse. He and a friend he made while in the group were voted “the least likely to succeed.” His friend was Dustin Hoffman.
Hackman moved back to New York City to pursue acting opportunities. He was classmates with Hoffman at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre as well as Robert Duvall and James Caan. Hackman became close friends with both Hoffman and Duvall and, at separate times, shared a small apartment with each man in New York City.
Hackman began earning roles in television shows in the late 1950s. He appeared in his first movie, Mad Dog Call, in 1961.
In 1967, Hackman stood out in Bonnie and Clyde, starring opposite Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. He earned his first Oscar nomination, for Best Supporting Actor, for portraying Buck Barrow.
Hackman grabbed the spotlight in 1971 by portraying Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, a detective with the New York Police Department, in The French Connection. This earned Hackman his first Academy Award, for Best Actor, the following year.
His other Oscar nomination was for Best Actor in 1988’s Mississippi Burning, in which he portrayed FBI Agent Rupert Anderson. Additional film roles included 1977’s A Bridge Too Far, 1981’s Reds, 1987’s No Way Out, 1988’s Bat*21, 1993’s The Firm, 1995’s Get Shorty and 2004’s Welcome to Mooseport, his final film.
Hackman excelled at playing both dramatic and comedic characters.
He starred opposite Barbara Hershey and Dennis Hopper in 1986’s highly acclaimed Hoosiers. Hackman portrayed high school basketball coach Norman Dale in a story focusing on redemption. It’s about broken people who find a reason to start believing in themselves again, overcome their worst impulses and make the most of second chances.
“What makes Hoosiers special is not its story but its details and its characters. Angelo Pizzo, who wrote the original screenplay, knows small-town sports,” longtime Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert wrote in his review. “He knows all about high school politics and how the school board and the parents’ groups always think they know more about basketball than the coach does. He knows about gossip, scandal and vengeance. And he knows a lot about human nature. All of his knowledge, however, would be pointless without Hackman’s great performance at the center of this movie. Hackman is gifted at combining likability with complexity — two qualities that usually don’t go together in the movies. He projects all of the single-mindedness of any good coach, but then he contains other dimensions, and we learn about the scandal in his past that led him to this one-horse town. David Anspaugh’s direction is good at suggesting Hackman’s complexity without belaboring it.”
Hackman later starred in The Royal Tenenbaums, Wes Anderson’s 2001 comedy. It also starred Anjelica Huston, Danny Glover, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Bill Murray, and Luke and Owen Wilson. While initially reluctant to take the part, Hackman was superb in the lead role.
In an article published Feb. 28 by the Daily Tribune, Jefferson Fernando summed up Hackman’s lasting influence on the film industry: “Gene Hackman, a name synonymous with raw talent and unwavering dedication, has left an indelible mark on cinema. Spanning over four decades, his career was a masterclass in versatility, showcasing a remarkable range that few actors could match. From the gritty streets of New York to the vast expanses of the Wild West, Hackman breathed life into characters that resonated with audiences across generations. His passing in February 2025 marks the end of an era, but his contributions to the world of film will continue to inspire. With two Academy Awards — a testament to his sheer brilliance — and a constellation of other accolades, Hackman’s legacy is firmly cemented in Hollywood history.”