This morning we woke up to the news that Gene Hackman died at the age of 95. He, his wife, and one of their 3 dogs were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home. Police have said there were no significant signs of foul play. They also said there were no obvious signs of a gas leak, although the couple’s sudden deaths were consistent with one, necessitating a thorough investigation. Autopsies will also be performed to determine a cause of death.
Hackman’s career spanned 4 decades and he appeared in over 100 movies and TV shows. He won 2 Academy Awards – Best Actor for his role as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection and Best Supporting Actor for his role in Unforgiven. He also won 4 Golden Globe Awards and 2 British Academy Film Awards. He began pursuing acting in 1956 after getting out of the Marine Corps. He joined the Pasadena Playhouse in California, where he became friends with another aspiring actor you may have heard of, Dustin Hoffman. Hackman and Hoffman were seen as outsiders by their classmates and voted “Least Likely to Succeed”, with Hackman getting the lowest score the Pasadena Playhouse had yet given.
Determined to prove them wrong, Hackman moved to New York City. He started getting various bit roles and performing in off-Broadway shows. He made his Broadway debut in 1963, which opened the door to film roles. After The French Connection in 1971, Hackman starred in 10 films over the next 3 years, making him the most prolific actor in Hollywood at the time. He appeared as Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie in 1978, a role he reprised for the sequels in 1980 and 1987. He also received critical acclaim for playing the head of an eccentric family in The Royal Tenenbaums in 2001, for which he received the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. He retried from acting in 2004 after starring in Welcome to Mooseport.
Numerous members of the film industry have paid tribute to Hackman since his death, including Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Viola Davis, and Josh Brolin. Learn more here.