Gene Hackman Biography

Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is an American actor (retired) and novelist.

Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, one including best actor in The French Connection which is based on a true story. Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde. His major subsequent films include The French Connection (1971), in which he played Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle; The Poseidon Adventure (1972); The Conversation (1974); Superman (1978), in which he played arch-villain Lex Luthor; Hoosiers (1986); Mississippi Burning (1988); Unforgiven (1992); The Firm (1993); Crimson Tide (1995); Get Shorty (1995); The Birdcage (1996); Enemy of the State (1998); and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001).

Early life

Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California, the son of Lyda (née Gray) and Eugene Ezra Hackman. He has a brother, Richard. According to a plaque in a city park, he worked for a time as a dog catcher for the local animal shelter. His family moved frequently, finally settling in Danville, Illinois, where they lived in the house of his English-born maternal grandmother, Beatrice. Hackman's father operated the printing press for the Commercial-News, a local paper. Hackman's parents divorced in 1943 and his father subsequently left the family.

Gene lived briefly in Storm Lake, Iowa and his sophomore home room photograph is in the 1945 Storm Lake High School "Breeze" year-book. At the age of sixteen, Hackman left home to join the United States Marine Corps, where he served four-and-a-half years as a field radio operator. After his discharge, he moved to New York, working in several minor jobs. His mother died in 1962 as a result of a fire she accidentally set while smoking.

Career

1960s

In 1956, Hackman began pursuing an acting career; he joined the Pasadena Playhouse in California. It was there that he forged a friendship with another aspiring actor, Dustin Hoffman. Already seen as outsiders by their classmates, Hackman and Hoffman were later voted "The Least Likely To Succeed." Determined to prove them wrong, Hackman hopped on a bus bound for New York City. A 2004 article in Vanity Fair described how Hackman, Hoffman and Robert Duvall were all struggling actors and close friends while living in New York City in the 1960s. Hackman was working as a doorman when he ran into an instructor whom he had despised at the Pasadena Playhouse. Reinforcing "The Least Likely To Succeed" vote, the man had said, "See, Hackman, I told you you wouldn't amount to anything."

Hackman began performing in several Off-Broadway plays. In 1964, he had an offer to co-star in the play Any Wednesday with actress Sandy Dennis. This opened the door to film work. His first role was in Lilith, with Warren Beatty in the leading role. In 1967, Hackman appeared in an episode of the television series The Invaders entitled The Spores. Another supporting role, Buck Barrow in 1967's Bonnie and Clyde, earned him an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. In 1968, he appeared in an episode of "I Spy", in the role of "Hunter", in the episode "Happy Birthday...Everybody". In 1969, he played a ski coach in Downhill Racer and an astronaut in Marooned. Also in that year, he played the role of a member of a barnstorming skydiving team that entertained mostly at county fairs: The Gypsy Moths. He nearly accepted the role of Mike Brady for the upcoming TV series, The Brady Bunch, but was advised by his agent to decline in exchange for a more promising role, which he did.

1970s

In 1971, he was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award again, this time for 1970's I Never Sang for My Father, working alongside Melvyn Douglas and Estelle Parsons. The next year, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as New York City Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in The French Connection, marking his graduation to leading man status.

He followed this with leading roles in the disaster film The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation (1974), which was nominated for several Oscars. That same year, Hackman appeared in what became one of his most famous comedic roles as the blind hermit in Young Frankenstein.

He later appeared as one of Teddy Roosevelt's former Rough Riders in the Western horse-race saga Bite the Bullet (1975), as well as in that year's sequel French Connection II. In 1975 he also appeared in the highly regarded"?but little viewed"?film Night Moves, receiving a BAFTA nomination for lead actor. He appeared in the star-studded war film A Bridge Too Far (1977), as Polish General Stanislaw Sosabowski. Hackman showed a talent for both comedy and the "slow burn" as criminal mastermind Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie (1978), as he would in its 1980 and 1987 sequels.

1980s

By the end of the 1980s, Hackman alternated between leading and supporting roles, earning another Best Actor nomination for Mississippi Burning. He had a memorable part as a Secretary of Defense trying to cover up a homicide in 1987's No Way Out opposite Kevin Costner.

During this decade Hackman also could be seen in Reds, Under Fire, Hoosiers, Power, Uncommon Valor and Bat*21. A 2008 American Film Institute poll voted Hoosiers the fourth-greatest film of all time in the sports genre.

1990s

In 1990, the actor underwent an angioplasty, which kept him from work for a while, although he found time for Narrow Margin"?a remake of The Narrow Margin (1952). In 1992, he played the sadistic sheriff "Little" Bill Daggett in the western Unforgiven directed by Clint Eastwood and written by David Webb Peoples which earned him a second Oscar, this time for Best Supporting Actor. The film won Best Picture. In 1993 he appeared in Geronimo An American Legend as Brigadier General George Crook. Hackman co-starred with Tom Cruise as a corrupt lawyer in The Firm (1993) and appeared in a second John Grisham story in 1996, playing a convict on death row in The Chamber.

In 1995, Hackman played an inept Hollywood producer in Get Shorty and the villainous fast-draw champion John Herrod in The Quick and the Dead opposite Sharon Stone, Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, as well as submarine Captain Frank Ramsey in the film Crimson Tide with Denzel Washington.

In 1996, he took a comedic turn as ultra-conservative Senator Kevin Keeley in The Birdcage with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. He also co-starred with Will Smith in the 1998 film Enemy of the State, where his character was reminiscent of the one from The Conversation.

He played a President of the United States who is responsible for a killing in 1997's Absolute Power, re-teaming with director-star Clint Eastwood.

2000s

Hackman starred in the David Mamet crime film Heist, as an aging professional thief of considerable skill who is forced into one final job and the comedy Heartbreakers alongside Sigourney Weaver, Ray Liotta and Jennifer Love Hewitt. He also had a leading role as the head of an eccentric family in the ensemble cast film The Royal Tenenbaums and in yet another Grisham legal drama, Runaway Jury, at long last getting to make a picture with his longtime friend Dustin Hoffman. Hackman's final film to date was Welcome to Mooseport (2004), a comedy with Ray Romano, in which Hackman portrayed a former President of the United States.

In 2003 at the Golden Globes, Hackman was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for his "outstanding contribution to the entertainment field."

Other work and retirement

Together with undersea archaeologist Daniel Lenihan, Hackman has written three historical fiction novels: Wake of the Perdido Star (1999), a sea adventure of the 19th century, Justice for None (2004), a Depression-era tale of murder, and Escape from Andersonville (2008) about a prison escape during the Civil War. Payback at Morning Peak (2011) is his first solo effort, a story of love and revenge set in the Old West.

On July 7, 2004, Hackman gave a rare interview to Larry King, in which Hackman announced that he had no future film projects lined up and believed his acting career was over. In 2008, while promoting his third novel, Hackman confirmed that he had retired from acting. When asked during a GQ interview in 2011 if he would ever come out of retirement to do one more film, Hackman said he might consider it "...if I could do it in my own house, maybe, without them disturbing anything and just one or two people."

In 2011, Hackman appeared on the Fox Sports Radio show, The Loose Cannons, where he discussed his career and novels with Pat O'Brien, Steve Hartman and Vic "The Brick" Jacobs.

Personal life

Hackman's first wife was Faye Maltese. They had three children, Christopher Allen, Elizabeth Jean and Leslie Anne. The couple divorced in 1986 after three decades of marriage. In 1991, Hackman married Betsy Arakawa. They live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Betsy is co-owner of an upscale retail home furnishings store in Santa Fe called Pandora's, Inc.

Hackman competed in Sports Car Club of America races driving an open wheeled Formula Ford in the late seventies. In 1983, Hackman drove a Dan Gurney Team Toyota in the 24 Hours of Daytona Endurance Race. He also won the Long Beach Grand Prix Celebrity Race.

Hackman is an avid fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars and regularly attended Jaguars games as a guest of then-head coach Jack Del Rio. He is friends with Del Rio from Del Rio's playing days at the University of Southern California.

On January 13, 2012, Gene Hackman was struck by a car while riding a bicycle in Islamorada, Florida. He sustained minor injuries and was transported to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami, Florida.

On October 30, 2012, Hackman slapped a homeless man he knew in downtown Santa Fe. Hackman told police that the homeless man became angry when he was refused money, called him a name and moved in close in a "threatening manner". The actor told officers that that was when he slapped the man, to fend him off. No charges were filed as it was determined by police that Hackman acted in self-defense.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1961	Mad Dog Coll	Policeman	uncredited
1964	Lilith	Norman
1966	Hawaii	Dr. John Whipple
1967	Banning	Tommy Del Gaddo
1967	Community Shelter Planning	Donald Ross"?Regional Civil Defense Officer
1967	'	Harmsworth
1967	First to Fight	Sgt. Tweed
1967	Bonnie & Clyde	Buck Barrow	National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated"?Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
1968	'	Detective Lt. Walter Brill
1969	Riot	Red Fraker
1969	'	Joe Browdy
1969	Downhill Racer	Eugene Claire	New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (3rd place)
1969	Marooned	Buzz Lloyd
1970	I Never Sang for My Father	Gene Garrison	Nominated"?Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
1971	Doctors' Wives	Dr. Dave Randolph
1971	'	Brandt Ruger
1971	'	NYPD Det. Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle	Academy Award for Best Actor BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Golden Globe Award for Best Actor " Motion Picture Drama Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor National Board of Review Award for Best Actor National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor (3rd place) New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
1972	Prime Cut	Mary Ann
1972	'	Reverend Frank Scott	BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
1972	Cisco Pike	Sergeant Leo Holland
1973	Scarecrow	Max Millan
1974	'	Harry Caul	National Board of Review Award for Best Actor New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (2nd place) Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign Actor Nominated"?BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated"?Golden Globe Award for Best Actor " Motion Picture Drama
1974	Young Frankenstein	The Blindman (Harold)
1974	Zandy's Bride	Zandy Allan
1975	French Connection II	NYPD Det. Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle	Nominated"?BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated"?Golden Globe Award for Best Actor " Motion Picture Drama
1975	Lucky Lady	Kibby Womack
1975	Night Moves	Harry Moseby	Nominated"?BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
1975	Bite the Bullet	Sam Clayton
1977	'	Roy Tucker
1977	'	Maj Gen. Stanis"?aw Sosabowski
1977	March or Die	Maj. William Sherman Foster
1978	Superman	Lex Luthor	Nominated"?BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1980 2006	Superman II Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut	Lex Luthor
1981	All Night Long	George Dupler
1981	Reds	Pete Van Wherry
1983	Under Fire	Alex Grazier	Nominated"?Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor " Motion Picture
1983	Two of a Kind	God	uncredited voice role
1983	Uncommon Valor	Col. Jason Rhodes, USMC (ret)
1984	Eureka	Jack McCann
1984	Misunderstood	Ned Rawley
1985	Twice in a Lifetime	Harry MacKenzie	Nominated"?Golden Globe Award for Best Actor " Motion Picture Drama
1985	Target	Walter Lloyd/Duncan (Duke) Potter
1986	Power	Wilfred Buckley
1986	Hoosiers	Coach Norman Dale
1987	No Way Out	Defense Secretary David Brice
1987	Superman IV: The Quest for Peace	Lex Luthor / voice of Nuclear Man
1988	Bat*21	Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton, USAF	Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor (2nd place)
1988	Mississippi Burning	FBI Special Agent Rupert Anderson	Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor (2nd place) National Board of Review Award for Best Actor National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor (2nd place) Silver Bear for Best Actor Nominated"?Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated"?David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Actor Nominated"?Golden Globe Award for Best Actor " Motion Picture Drama Nominated"?Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
1988	Another Woman	Larry Lewis	Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor (2nd place)
1988	Full Moon in Blue Water	Floyd
1988	Split Decisions	Dan McGuinn
1989	'	Sgt. Johnny Gallagher
1990	Loose Cannons	MacArthur Stern
1990	Postcards from the Edge	Lowell Kolchek
1990	Narrow Margin	Robert Caulfield
1991	Class Action	Jedediah Tucker Ward
1991	Company Business	Sam Boyd
1992	Unforgiven	Little Bill Daggett	Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor " Motion Picture Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor Western Heritage Award for Theatrical Motion Picture Nominated"?Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
1993	'	Avery Tolar
1993	Geronimo: An American Legend	Brig. Gen. George Crook
1994	Wyatt Earp	Nicholas Earp
1995	'	John Herod
1995	Crimson Tide	Capt. Frank Ramsey
1995	Get Shorty	Harry Zimm	Nominated"?American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture Nominated"?Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated"?Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
1996	'	Senator Kevin Keeley	Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor - Comedy Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated"?Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor " Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1996	Extreme Measures	Dr. Lawrence Myrick
1996	'	Sam Cayhall
1997	Absolute Power	President Allen Richmond
1998	Twilight	Jack Ames
1998	Enemy of the State	Edward 'Brill' Lyle	Nominated"?Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor - Action/Adventure
1998	Antz	General Mandible	Voice only
1999	'	Grant Ritchie
2000	Under Suspicion	Henry Hearst	Executive Producer
2000	'	Jimmy McGinty
2001	Heartbreakers	William B. Tensy
2001	Heist	Joe Moore
2001	'	Arnold Margolese (uncredited)
2001	'	Royal Tenenbaum	AFI Award for Best Supporting Actor Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor (2nd place) Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Golden Globe Award for Best Actor " Motion Picture Musical or Comedy National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor Nominated"?Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Acting Ensemble Nominated"?Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Nominated"?Satellite Award for Best Actor " Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
2001	Behind Enemy Lines	Admiral Leslie McMahon Reigart
2003	Runaway Jury	Rankin Fitch
2004	Welcome to Mooseport	Monroe "Eagle" Cole

See also