Facts about Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman Biography
Gene Hackman became one of America’s best-known film actors in 1971, when he starred as impudent New York cop Popeye Doyle in William Friedkin‘s The French Connection. The role won him an Oscar as that year’s best actor.
During his long screen career, Hackman mixed leading and supporting roles and frequently played silky villains or rough-and-regular heroes.
Some of his more memorable movies included The Conversation (1974, directed by Francis Ford Coppola), Hoosiers (1986) and Get Shorty (1995, with John Travolta).
Hackman was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning Best Actor for The French Connection and Best Supporting Actor for the 1992 Clint Eastwood western Unforgiven.
In 2001 he appeared with Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Stiller in the comedy The Royal Tenenbaums. His later films included Behind Enemy Lines (2001, with Owen Wilson) and Runaway Jury (2003, with John Cusack and Rachel Weisz).
Extra credit
At age 16 Hackman quit school, lied about his age, and joined the Marines… He co-authored the novels Wake of the Perdido Star (1999) and Justice for None (2004) with writer Daniel Lenihan.