It’s hard to describe the scope of Gene Hackman‘s career. With a filmography spanning more than 40 years, Hackman did more than simply make a mark on the movie industry. He certainly did that with his work in legendary films like The Conversation, The Poseidon Adventure and The French Connection. His work, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s, helped redefine Hollywood at a time when it desperately needed a shot in the arm. With his passing this week at the age of 95, Hollywood has lost one of its most memorable characters.
Due to the sheer length of his career, every generation is sure to have “their” Gene Hackman role. In looking at social media posts chronicling his career, few people are looking at the same films. Writing this, I’m actually struggling to think of my introduction to his acting. He’s an actor who has really always been there for me. If I had to guess, it was either The Birdcage or Young Frankenstein. Plenty of people, though, I’m sure, will look to works like Hoosiers or even more recent movies like The Royal Tennenbaums.
While Hackman came into his own as a performer during the “New Hollywood” era of the 1970s, he’d been paying his dues on the small screen for more than a decade. In fact, the actor was a mainstay on television as far back as 1959 with tiny roles. A 1963 episode of the drama Route 66 shows him billed as “Motorist.” It isn’t surprising, though, to see him getting the brunt of his work in anthology dramas of the era like The United States Steel Hour and The Dupont Show of the Week.
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Television during the 1950s and 1960s could be unforgiving work, especially in these anthologies, which were often broadcast live. These shows were essentially televised theater and, as such, were a challenging place for young actors to cut their teeth. A look at The United States Steel Hour‘s cast shows up-and-comers like William Shatner, Paul Newman and even Betty White appearing in episodes. Hackman appears in a staggering eight episodes of the show.
The 1960s saw Hollywood facing uncertainty. Television’s explosion in the 1950s set things on edge, and the 1960s saw the once powerful studio system beginning to crumble.
When considering history, it seems almost symbolic to see Hackman’s career take off with a role in Arthur Penn’s iconic 1967 drama Bonnie and Clyde. The film stars Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the notorious bank robbers. The two give iconic performances in a work that still stands as a symbol of the era’s burgeoning counter-culture. Hackman received his first of five Academy Award nominations for the movie.
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Critics and film scholars alike recognize 1967 as not only one of the best but also one of the most important years in Hollywood. With works like Bonnie and Clyde, In the Heat of the Night and The Graduate hitting theaters, 1967 signifies the birth of New Hollywood.
If New Hollywood were pictured in the dictionary, it would likely show Gene Hackman’s headshot. He stands among a small group of actors who helped define not only “New Hollywood” cinema but Hollywood of the 1970s.
Between 1971 and 1974, he appeared in a streak of films that would see him remembered for the rest of his career. He won his first of two Academy Awards for his work in The French Connection. The gritty police procedural partnered him with soon-to-be Jaws star Roy Scheider as well as future The Exorcist director William Friedkin — who also took home an Oscar that night.
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Not to be outdone, of course, 1972 saw the star appear in a 1970s staple. A disaster film with a super-sized cast. The Poseidon Adventure. Don’t go on a cruise ship and watch this movie.
Still to come, though, were the two 1970s films that made the biggest mark on this critic. These are two movies that couldn’t be any more different. In any look into Gene Hackman’s career, one has to mention Mel Brooks’ classic comedy, Young Frankenstein.
Hackman’s role in Young Frankenstein is admittedly little more than a cameo. However, Hackman’s charisma as “Blindman” steps beyond his lack of screen time. Hackman is memorable in what is a rare comedic role for him. Mel Brooks released a social media statement in the wake of Hackman’s passing.
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“I was privileged to know Gene Hackman because he played tennis with another Gene — Gene Wilder. And that Gene told him about a little role called The Blind Hermit in our movie Young Frankenstein. He said, ‘Do you think Mel would let me play it? I’ve always wanted to do a comedy.’ Needless to say, I was over the moon, and he was perfect.”
Hackman stands toe-to-toe in the film as a hermit who unwittingly comes into contact with Peter Boyle’s Monster. It’s a simple, grounded scene, but Hackman is a joy to watch in this small moment. He shines in the comedy despite the role’s lack of obvious physicality. Plug Young Frankenstein in for a rewatch if you haven’t seen it for a while.
Yours truly would be shirking my duty, though, if I didn’t make sure to talk about what is now my personal favorite Hackman work, The Conversation. The 1974 film is a hallmark in another purely 1970s genre, the paranoid thriller. Director Francis Ford Coppola released the technical masterclass between The Godfather and The Godfather Part II.
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Hackman co-stars in The Conversation with the always amazing John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Frederic Forrest and Cindy Williams. Keep an eye out for Harrison Ford in a small role three years before the release of Star Wars: Episode IV.
Gene Hackman would, of course, remain a mainstay in the industry over the following three decades. While he feels completely at home in the often brooding moodiness of 1970s cinema, Hackman never slowed. From sports movies like Hoosiers to hard-hitting westerns like Unforgiven (which would give him his second Academy Award) and quirky Wes Anderson comedies like The Royal Tennenbaums, Gene Hackman didn’t shy away from a role. The man even played Lex Luthor for crying out loud.
Ultimately, he was, first and foremost, an actor, and this is why his career had the longevity it did. Over more than 40 years in the spotlight, Gene Hackman lost himself in memorable roles, hurdled the genres and gave everyone something to enjoy.
What’s your favorite Gene Hackman role?
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