Gene Hackman

He received several accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, one Silver Bear and four Golden Globe Awards. Gene Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California, Hackman developed an interest in acting from a very young age. He made his credited film debut in the drama Lilith (1964). He later won two Academy Awards; his first for Best Actor for his role as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in William Friedkin's action thriller The French Connection, and his second for Best Supporting Actor for playing a cruel sheriff in Clint Eastwood's western Unforgiven. He was Oscar-nominated for playing Buck Barrow in the crime drama Bonnie and Clyde, and an FBI agent in the historical drama Mississippi Burning. Hackman gained further fame for his portrayal of Lex Luthor in three of the Superman films. His other notable roles include The Conversation, Night Moves, Hoosiers, No Way Out, Crimson Tide, The Quick and the Dead, Get Shorty, Enemy of the State, and The Royal Tenenbaums. He retired from acting in 2004, writing novels and occasionally narrating television documentaries, up until 2017. Hackman's health declined in his final years. He was found dead, along with his wife, at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His cause of death was deemed a combination of Alzheimer's disease, severe heart disease, and kidney disease.

Gene Hackman studied at Pasadena Playhouse, Art Students League of New York and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is acting and film acting. Distinctions recorded are Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award for Best Actor, Silver Bear for Best Actor and BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Eugene Allen Hackman was born on January 30, 1930, in San Bernardino, California, to Anna Lyda Elizabeth (née Gray) and Eugene Ezra Hackman. He also had a brother named Richard. Anna was an actress, painter, pianist, and waitress, from Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. Eugene, Sr. operated the printing press for the local newspaper, the Commercial-News. The family moved frequently before eventually settling in Danville, Illinois, where they lived in the house of Anna's English-born mother, Beatrice. Hackman later stated that he decided to become an actor at the age of 10. When Hackman was 13 years old, Eugene Sr. divorced Anna, and left the family. Hackman spent his sophomore year at Storm Lake High School in Storm Lake, Iowa. He left home at the age of 16, lied about his age to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, and served four and a half years as a field radio operator. Hackman was stationed in China (Qingdao and later in Shanghai) as part of Operation Beleaguer. He later stated that part of his role there was destroying Japanese military equipment so that Communist revolutionaries did not capture it. After the Communists conquered the mainland in 1949, he was reassigned to Hawaii and Japan. After his discharge in 1951, Hackman moved to New York City, where he worked at various jobs. He later began studying journalism and television production at the University of Illinois under the G.I. Bill, but left before graduating, and moved back to California. In 1962, Anna died in a fire she had accidentally started while smoking.

In 1956, Hackman began pursuing an acting career. He joined the Pasadena Playhouse in California, where he befriended another aspiring actor, Dustin Hoffman. Seen as outsiders by their classmates, Hackman and Hoffman were voted "the least likely to succeed", and Hackman got the lowest score the Pasadena Playhouse had yet to give. Determined to prove them wrong, Hackman moved to New York City. A 2004 article in Vanity Fair described Hackman, Hoffman, and Robert Duvall as struggling California-born actors and close friends, sharing New York apartments in various two-person combinations in the 1960s. To support himself between acting jobs, Hackman worked at Howard Johnson's., There, he was encountered by an instructor from the Pasadena Playhouse, who said that Hackman's job at the restaurant proved that he "wouldn't amount to anything." A Marine officer who saw him as a doorman said, "Hackman, you're a sorry son of a bitch." Hackman's response was: It was more psychological warfare, because I wasn't going to let those fuckers get me down. I insisted with myself that I would continue to do whatever it took to get a job. It was like me against them, and in some way, unfortunately, I still feel that way. But I think if you're really interested in acting there is a part of you that relishes the struggle. It's a narcotic in the way that you are trained to do this work and nobody will let you do it, so you're a little bit nuts. You lie to people, you cheat, you do whatever it takes to get an audition, get a job. Hackman began performing in several off-Broadway plays, starting with Witness for the Prosecution in 1957 at the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport, New York, and Come to the Palace of Sin in 1963. He got various bit roles in the film Mad Dog Coll, and on multiple television series: Tallahassee 7000, The United States Steel Hour, Route 66, Naked City, The Defenders, The DuPont Show of the Week, East Side/West Side, and Brenner. In 1963, he made his Broadway debuts in the short-running Children From Their Games and A Rainy Day in Newark. However, Any Wednesday with actress Sandy Dennis was a huge Broadway success in 1964. This opened the door to film work. His first credited role was in Lilith, with Jean Seberg and Warren Beatty in the leading roles. Hackman returned to Broadway in Poor Richard (1964–65) by Jean Kerr, which ran over a hundred performances. He continued to do television – The Trials of O'Brien, Hawk, and The F.B.I. – and had a small part as Dr. John Whipple in the epic film Hawaii. He had small roles in features like First to Fight (1967), A Covenant with Death (1967), and Banning (1967). Hackman was originally cast as Mr. Robinson in the 1967 Mike Nichols independent romantic comedy film The Graduate, but Nichols fired him three weeks into rehearsal for being "too young" for the role. He was replaced by Murray Hamilton. Also in 1967, he appeared in an episode of the television series The Invaders, titled "The Spores", and as Buck Barrow in 1967's biographical crime drama Bonnie and Clyde, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. A return to Broadway that same year in The Natural Look, ran for just one performance. Additionally, he performed off-Broadway in Fragments and the Basement. Hackman was in episodes of Iron Horse ("Leopards Try, But Leopards Can't") and Insight ("Confrontation"). In 1968, he appeared in an episode of I Spy, in the role of Hunter, in the episode "Happy Birthday... Everybody". That same year, he starred in the CBS Playhouse episode "My Father and My Mother" and the dystopian television film Shadow on the Land. In 1969, he played a ski coach in Downhill Racer and an astronaut in Marooned. Also that year, he played a member of a barnstorming skydiving team that entertained mostly at county fairs, a film which also inspired many to pursue skydiving and has a cult-like status amongst skydivers as a result: The Gypsy Moths. Hackman supported Jim Brown in two films, The Split (1968) and Riot (1969). Hackman nearly accepted the role of Mike Brady for the TV series The Brady Bunch, but his agent advised that he decline it in exchange for a more promising role, which he did, but this story is said to have been exaggerated.

Hackman was nominated for a second Oscar for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the drama film I Never Sang for My Father (1970), directed by Gilbert Cates. Hackman acted opposite Melvyn Douglas, where they played father and son who are unable to communicate. Roger Ebert wrote of his performance, "Much of the film is just between the two of them and the characters seem to work so well because Douglas and Hackman respond to each other in every shot; the effect is not of acting, but as if the story were happening right now while we see it." He starred in the drama Doctors' Wives (1971) and the western film The Hunting Party (1971). He won his first Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as New York City Police Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in the crime drama The French Connection (1971), directed by William Friedkin. This film marked his graduation to stardom. Robert B. Frederick of Variety praised the performances of Hackman and Roy Scheider, writing, "They are very believable as two hard-nosed narcotics officers" who are also "overworked, tired and mean". After The French Connection, Hackman starred in ten films (not including his cameo as a blind man in the Mel Brooks-directed satirical horror comedy film Young Frankenstein in 1974) over the next three years, making him the most prolific actor in Hollywood during that time frame. He followed The French Connection with leading roles in the drama Cisco Pike (1972), the action crime thriller Prime Cut (1972), and the disaster film The Poseidon Adventure (1972). He also starred in the road comedy-drama Scarecrow (1973) alongside Al Pacino, which was Hackman's favorite role of his career and won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The following year, he starred as a surveillance expert in the neo-noir mystery thriller The Conversation (1974), directed by Francis Ford Coppola, which was nominated for several Oscars and also won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. That same year, Hackman appeared in what would become one of his most famous comedic roles, as Harold the Blind Man in Young Frankenstein. Hackman also appeared in the western Zandy's Bride (1974) and the neo-noir film Night Moves (1975) for director Arthur Penn. Hackman played one of Teddy Roosevelt's former Rough Riders in the Western horse-race saga Bite the Bullet (1975). He reprised his Oscar-winning role as Doyle in the sequel French Connection II (1975), for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. He co-starred with Burt Reynolds and Liza Minnelli in the musical Lucky Lady (1975), directed by Stanley Donen, a notorious flop. After making the neo-noir thriller The Domino Principle (1977) for Stanley Kramer, Hackman was part of an all-star cast in the war film A Bridge Too Far (1977), playing Polish General Stanisław Sosabowski, and was an officer in the French Foreign Legion in March or Die (1977). Hackman was required to shave his head and shave off his mustache to play the character, but he refused to do either. So Richard Donner, who had a mustache but had shaved it off, put on a fake mustache and challenged Hackman to shave off both of their mustaches. Hackman agreed and shaved his off, so Donner calmly removed the fake mustache and Hackman went into a full-blown rage in the makeup room, followed by a fit of laughter at Donner's wit. Hackman showed a talent for both comedy and the "slow burn" as criminal mastermind Lex Luthor opposite Christopher Reeve in the leading role in the superhero film Superman: The Movie (1978). Ron Pennington of The Hollywood Reporter wrote of his performance, "Hackman plays Lex Luthor, 'the greatest criminal mind of our time,' with an effective light touch, making him humorous but not out-and-out comical." He reprised the role for two of its sequels, Superman II (1980) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).

Hackman alternated between leading and supporting roles during the 1980s. He appeared opposite Barbra Streisand in All Night Long (1981) and supported Warren Beatty in Reds (1981). He played the lead in Eureka (1983) and a supporting role in Under Fire (1983). Hackman provided the voice of God in Two of a Kind (1983) and starred in Uncommon Valor (1983), Misunderstood (1984), Twice in a Lifetime (1985), Target (1985) for Arthur Penn, and Power (1986). Between 1985 and 1988, he starred in nine films, making him the busiest actor, alongside Steve Guttenberg. Hackman played a high school basketball coach in Hoosiers (1986), which a 2008 American Film Institute poll named the fourth-greatest sports film of all time. After Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), he also voiced Nuclear Man (who was portrayed by Mark Pillow) and was in No Way Out (1987), Split Decisions (1988), Bat*21 (1988), and Full Moon in Blue Water (1988). Hackman acted opposite Gena Rowlands in the Woody Allen drama Another Woman (1988). Hackman starred in the Alan Parker-directed crime drama Mississippi Burning (1988), costarring Willem Dafoe, where they portrayed FBI agents investigating the murder of 3 civil rights student activists. He earned acclaim for the role, with Roger Ebert praising his performance for his subtlety. He was nominated for a second Academy Award for Best Actor, losing to Dustin Hoffman for Rain Man. After this he appeared in The Package (1989). Hackman starred in Loose Cannons (1990) with Dan Aykroyd, and he had a supporting role in Postcards from the Edge (1990). He appeared with Anne Archer in Narrow Margin (1990), a remake of the 1952 film The Narrow Margin. After Class Action (1991) and Company Business (1991), Hackman played the sadistic sheriff "Little Bill" Daggett in the Western Unforgiven, directed by Clint Eastwood and written by David Webb Peoples. Hackman had pledged to avoid violent roles, but Eastwood convinced him to take the part, which earned him a second Oscar, this time for Best Supporting Actor. The film also won Best Picture. Hackman returned to Broadway, starring in the 1992 Ariel Dorfman play Death and the Maiden, acting opposite Glenn Close and Richard Dreyfus at the Brooks Atkinson Theater. In 1993, he appeared in Geronimo: An American Legend as Brigadier General George Crook and co-starred with Tom Cruise as a corrupt lawyer in The Firm, a legal thriller based on the John Grisham novel of the same name. Hackman would appear in two other films based on John Grisham novels, playing Sam Cayhall, a Klansman on death row, in The Chamber (1996), and jury consultant Rankin Fitch in Runaway Jury (2003). Other films Hackman appeared in during the 1990s include Wyatt Earp (1994) (as Nicholas Porter Earp, Wyatt Earp's father), The Quick and the Dead (1995) opposite Sharon Stone, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Russell Crowe, and as submarine Captain Frank Ramsey alongside Denzel Washington in Crimson Tide (1995). Hackman played film producer Harry Zimm alongside John Travolta in the comedy-drama Get Shorty (1995). In 1996, he took a comedic turn as conservative Senator Kevin Keeley in The Birdcage with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. He co-starred with Hugh Grant in Extreme Measures (1996) and reunited with Clint Eastwood in Absolute Power (1997). Hackman did Twilight (1998) with Paul Newman for director Robert Benton, voiced the villain in the DreamWorks' animated film Antz (1998), and co-starred with Will Smith in Enemy of the State (1998), his character reminiscent of the one he had portrayed in The Conversation.

Together with undersea archaeologist Daniel Lenihan, Hackman wrote 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 based on a real-life crime in his boyhood town of Danville; and Escape from Andersonville (2008), about a prison escape during the American Civil War. His first solo effort, a story of love and revenge set in the Old West titled Payback at Morning Peak, was released in 2011. His final novel, Pursuit, a police thriller, followed in 2013. After retiring from acting, Hackman narrated four episodes of the NFL Films sports documentary series America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions in 2007. He later narrated two documentaries related to the United States Marine Corps: The Unknown Flag Raiser of Iwo Jima (2016) and We, the Marines (2017).

In 1956, Hackman married Faye Maltese (1928–2017), with whom he had one son and two daughters: Christopher Allen, Elizabeth Jean, and Leslie Anne Hackman. He was often out on location making films while the children were growing up. The couple divorced in 1986, after three decades of marriage. On December 1, 1991, Hackman married classical pianist Betsy Arakawa (1959–2025) after they had dated for seven years. They shared a Santa Fe, New Mexico, home, which Architectural Digest featured in 1990. At the time, the home blended Southwestern styles and was at the crest of a 12-acre hilltop, with a 360-degree view that stretched to the Jemez, Sangre de Cristo, and Sandia mountains.

Hackman was a supporter of the Democratic Party and said he was "proud" to be included on Nixon's Enemies List. However, he spoke fondly about Republican president Ronald Reagan. In the late 1970s, Hackman competed in Sports Car Club of America races, driving an open-wheeled Formula Ford. In 1980, he won the Long Beach Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. He also drove a Dan Gurney Team Toyota in the 24 Hours of Daytona Endurance Race in 1983. Hackman was a fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars, an NFL football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, and regularly attended Jaguars games as a guest of former head coach Jack Del Rio. Their friendship went back to Del Rio's playing days at the University of Southern California. Hackman was also interested in architecture and design. As of 1990, he had created ten homes, two of which were featured in Architectural Digest. After a period of time, he moved on to another house restoration. "I don't know what's wrong with me," he remarked. "I guess I like the process, and when it's over, it's over." Hackman was an active cyclist well into his 90s.

In 1990, Hackman underwent an angioplasty. In 2012, Hackman was struck by a pickup truck while he was cycling in the Florida Keys. It was initially reported that he had suffered serious head trauma; however, his publicist stated that his injury was nothing more than "bumps and bruises". Hackman attended an event in Santa Fe in late 2022. He was last seen in public in March 2024. After his death, autopsy reports revealed Hackman had Alzheimer's disease, which contributed to his death.

In the final months of his life, Hackman's neighbors in Santa Fe, New Mexico, noticed that his health appeared to be declining, and he ceased communicating with family and friends, although any health concerns were denied by his daughter, Leslie Ann. Betsy Arakawa, Hackman's wife and sole caregiver, was last seen alive at a CVS Pharmacy on February 11, 2025, and returned to their gated community at 5:15 p.m. On February 12, Arakawa telephoned a private physician and made an appointment for that afternoon, complaining of respiratory problems, but did not arrive for the appointment. Arakawa died in their home a short time later from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Hackman did not seek help; authorities believe he was unable to comprehend her death due to Alzheimer's disease. Hackman died in the home's entryway around February 18, at which point his pacemaker recorded an abnormal rhythm. Dr Heather Jarrell, Chief Medical Investigator said "there was no reiable way to determine the date and time, when both died".The cause of his death was from severe heart disease, complicated by advanced Alzheimer's disease and kidney disease, at the age of 95. On February 26, the bodies of Hackman, Arakawa, and one of their three dogs were found by maintenance workers. Their other two dogs were found alive in the home. Although foul play was not suspected, the deaths were deemed suspicious enough to warrant an investigation. Hackman's estate requested that the courts block images and videos related to the investigation, such as police body camera footage. Arakawa's will stated that if they were to die within 90 days of each other, the proceeds would go to charity; Hackman's will, created in 1995, listed Arakawa as his sole inheritor. The Mercury News reported that Hackman's children were not listed in the will because they had already been "adequately provided for" in financial trusts. In October 2025, it was announced that Bonhams would auction off Hackman's personal belongings, including his art collection, personal artworks, scripts, film memorabilia, and three of his Golden Globe Awards.