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See Again
© Getty Images
0 / 33 Fotos
Gene Hackman
- Eugene Allen Hackman was born January 30, 1930 in San Bernardino, California.
© Getty Images
1 / 33 Fotos
Film carrer
- Early television appearances, movie bit parts, and performances in several off-Broadway plays eventually led to his first credited film role in 'Lilith' (1964), with Warren Beatty in the leading role. Hackman's working alongside Beatty would prove fortuitous.
© Getty Images
2 / 33 Fotos
'Bonnie and Clyde' (1967)
- Director Arthur Penn brought together Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the title characters in this seminal movie, which saw Hackman nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as Buck Barrow, older brother of criminal Clyde Barrow.
© Getty Images
3 / 33 Fotos
'The French Connection' (1971)
- William Friedkin's celebrated crime thriller saw Hackman play Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle.
© Getty Images
4 / 33 Fotos
'The French Connection' (1971)
- Pictured: the actor on the set of 'The French Connection' during a break in filming.
© Getty Images
5 / 33 Fotos
Oscar for 'The French Connection'
- Hackman won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film, which was based on a true story.
© Getty Images
6 / 33 Fotos
'Prime Cut' (1972)
- Hackman played opposite Lee Marvin in this tough and often violent movie that included scenes of female slavery.
© NL Beeld
7 / 33 Fotos
'Prime Cut' (1972)
- The two starring actors are pictured discussing a scene between takes. The film garnered generally positive reviews.
© Getty Images
8 / 33 Fotos
'The Poseidon Adventure' (1972)
- This early '70s blockbuster disaster movie received several Academy and Golden Globe awards and nominations. For his role as Reverend Frank Scott, Hackman picked up a BAFTA Award for Best Actor.
© Getty Images
9 / 33 Fotos
'Scarecrow' (1973)
- This offbeat road movie saw Hackman teamed with Al Pacino as two vagrants on their way to a cross-country journey.
© Getty Images
10 / 33 Fotos
'Scarecrow' (1973)
- Despite bombing at the US box office, the film has since enjoyed a cult following.
© Getty Images
11 / 33 Fotos
'The Conversation' (1974)
- Produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Hackman gave a masterful performance as a surveillance expert who uncovers a potential murder plot.
© Getty Images
12 / 33 Fotos
'The Conversation' (1974)
- It won the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival, among other awards and nominations. For his part, Hackman received BAFTA and Golden Globe best acting nods.
© Getty Images
13 / 33 Fotos
'Lucky Lady' (1975)
- Set in 1930 during Prohibition in the United States, this comedy-drama matched Hackman with Burt Reynolds. It also starred Liza Minnelli. Hackman later admitted he took the part because of the impressive payment, but didn't enjoy the filming, much of it set on water.
© Getty Images
14 / 33 Fotos
'Bite the Bullet' (1975)
- Working in the desert opposite James Coburn and Jan-Michael Vincent (pictured) on this Western proved a more productive experience. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards.
© Getty Images
15 / 33 Fotos
'A Bridge Too Far' (1977)
- Richard Attenborough's WWII epic starred Hackman, along with dozens of other Hollywood A-listers, in this historically accurate but hugely expensive recreation of the Allied parachute drop over the Netherlands in 1944. Fortunately, the film saw a profit, and was generally well-received by critics.
© NL Beeld
16 / 33 Fotos
'Hoosiers' (1986)
- This enjoyable sports film tells the story of a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that, against the odds, wins the state championship. The film earned co-star Dennis Hopper an Oscar nomination, and Hackman's performance was also praised.
© NL Beeld
17 / 33 Fotos
'No Way Out' (1987)
- A tense political drama with a surprising twist in its tale, 'No Way Out' featured Hackman as Secretary of Defense David Brice, who ends up embroiled in murder and the frantic search for a Soviet spy.
© NL Beeld
18 / 33 Fotos
'Mississippi Burning' (1988)
- Based on a notorious 1964 Mississippi murder investigation that took place during the height of the civil rights movement, director Alan Parker's crime thriller saw Hackman and co-star Willem Dafoe's characters up against the Ku Klux Klan.
© NL Beeld
19 / 33 Fotos
'Mississippi Burning' (1988)
- The film received seven Academy Awards nominations, including Best Actor for Hackman.
© NL Beeld
20 / 33 Fotos
'Unforgiven' (1992)
- Clint Eastwood's masterpiece revisionist Western drama won four Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Hackman as brutal sheriff "Little" Bill Daggett. Apparently, Hackman nearly turned down the role, worried about the violence depicted in the final scenes.
© NL Beeld
21 / 33 Fotos
Oscar for 'Unforgiven'
- Hackman holds aloft his Best Supporting Actor Oscar at the 65th Annual Academy Awards.
© Getty Images
22 / 33 Fotos
'The Firm' (1993)
- Hackman followed his role in the saddle with this legal thriller, based on the novel of the same name by John Grisham. The film found favor with many critics and was a box-office success.
© Getty Images
23 / 33 Fotos
'Crimson Tide' (1995)
- Hackman fared better in his next film, a thriller set in a submarine during heightened tensions between the US and post-Soviet Russia. Reviews were positive and box-office returns were extremely buoyant.
© Getty Images
24 / 33 Fotos
Family life
- Gene and his wife Betsy Hackman attend the premiere of 'The Chamber' 1996 at the Academy Theater in Beverly Hills, California.
© Getty Images
25 / 33 Fotos
'Absolute Power' (1997)
- On the set of Clint Eastwood's 'Absolute Power.' The film wasn't as fruitful as their previous collaboration, 'Unforgiven,' and performed poorly at the box office.
© Getty Images
26 / 33 Fotos
Life as an author
- By the late 1990s, Hackman had begun a parallel career as an author. He's pictured signing a copy of his first book, 'Wake of the Perdido Star,' in Chicago in 2000, which he co-authored with underwater archaeologist Daniel Lenihan.
© Getty Images
27 / 33 Fotos
'Behind Enemy Lines' (2001)
- Back as an actor, Hackman co-starred with Owen Wilson in this tale about a US pilot shot down over Bosnia during the Bosnian War. Despite negative reviews, the film took off at the box office.
© NL Beeld
28 / 33 Fotos
'Runaway Jury' (2003)
- Another adaptation of a John Grisham novel, 'Runaway Jury' drew a more positive response from critics, with Grisham himself remarking that it was a "smart, suspenseful" movie.
© NL Beeld
29 / 33 Fotos
Cecil B. DeMille Award
- Hackman poses with his Cecil B. DeMille Award backstage during the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2003.
© Getty Images
30 / 33 Fotos
'Welcome to Mooseport' (2004)
- Hackman's final film to date is this romantic comedy. While it saw a healthy return at the box office, critics spoke of a "bland" production that "squanders a talented cast."
© NL Beeld
31 / 33 Fotos
Retirement and writing
- Since retiring from acting in 2004, Hackman has narrated two documentaries and penned four more novels, his latest being 'Pursuit,' published in 2013. He continues to appear in public at occasional book signings, and has given radio interviews. See also: From fame to fiction: celebrities who moonlight as authors
© Getty Images
32 / 33 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 33 Fotos
Gene Hackman
- Eugene Allen Hackman was born January 30, 1930 in San Bernardino, California.
© Getty Images
1 / 33 Fotos
Film carrer
- Early television appearances, movie bit parts, and performances in several off-Broadway plays eventually led to his first credited film role in 'Lilith' (1964), with Warren Beatty in the leading role. Hackman's working alongside Beatty would prove fortuitous.
© Getty Images
2 / 33 Fotos
'Bonnie and Clyde' (1967)
- Director Arthur Penn brought together Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the title characters in this seminal movie, which saw Hackman nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as Buck Barrow, older brother of criminal Clyde Barrow.
© Getty Images
3 / 33 Fotos
'The French Connection' (1971)
- William Friedkin's celebrated crime thriller saw Hackman play Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle.
© Getty Images
4 / 33 Fotos
'The French Connection' (1971)
- Pictured: the actor on the set of 'The French Connection' during a break in filming.
© Getty Images
5 / 33 Fotos
Oscar for 'The French Connection'
- Hackman won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film, which was based on a true story.
© Getty Images
6 / 33 Fotos
'Prime Cut' (1972)
- Hackman played opposite Lee Marvin in this tough and often violent movie that included scenes of female slavery.
© NL Beeld
7 / 33 Fotos
'Prime Cut' (1972)
- The two starring actors are pictured discussing a scene between takes. The film garnered generally positive reviews.
© Getty Images
8 / 33 Fotos
'The Poseidon Adventure' (1972)
- This early '70s blockbuster disaster movie received several Academy and Golden Globe awards and nominations. For his role as Reverend Frank Scott, Hackman picked up a BAFTA Award for Best Actor.
© Getty Images
9 / 33 Fotos
'Scarecrow' (1973)
- This offbeat road movie saw Hackman teamed with Al Pacino as two vagrants on their way to a cross-country journey.
© Getty Images
10 / 33 Fotos
'Scarecrow' (1973)
- Despite bombing at the US box office, the film has since enjoyed a cult following.
© Getty Images
11 / 33 Fotos
'The Conversation' (1974)
- Produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Hackman gave a masterful performance as a surveillance expert who uncovers a potential murder plot.
© Getty Images
12 / 33 Fotos
'The Conversation' (1974)
- It won the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival, among other awards and nominations. For his part, Hackman received BAFTA and Golden Globe best acting nods.
© Getty Images
13 / 33 Fotos
'Lucky Lady' (1975)
- Set in 1930 during Prohibition in the United States, this comedy-drama matched Hackman with Burt Reynolds. It also starred Liza Minnelli. Hackman later admitted he took the part because of the impressive payment, but didn't enjoy the filming, much of it set on water.
© Getty Images
14 / 33 Fotos
'Bite the Bullet' (1975)
- Working in the desert opposite James Coburn and Jan-Michael Vincent (pictured) on this Western proved a more productive experience. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards.
© Getty Images
15 / 33 Fotos
'A Bridge Too Far' (1977)
- Richard Attenborough's WWII epic starred Hackman, along with dozens of other Hollywood A-listers, in this historically accurate but hugely expensive recreation of the Allied parachute drop over the Netherlands in 1944. Fortunately, the film saw a profit, and was generally well-received by critics.
© NL Beeld
16 / 33 Fotos
'Hoosiers' (1986)
- This enjoyable sports film tells the story of a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that, against the odds, wins the state championship. The film earned co-star Dennis Hopper an Oscar nomination, and Hackman's performance was also praised.
© NL Beeld
17 / 33 Fotos
'No Way Out' (1987)
- A tense political drama with a surprising twist in its tale, 'No Way Out' featured Hackman as Secretary of Defense David Brice, who ends up embroiled in murder and the frantic search for a Soviet spy.
© NL Beeld
18 / 33 Fotos
'Mississippi Burning' (1988)
- Based on a notorious 1964 Mississippi murder investigation that took place during the height of the civil rights movement, director Alan Parker's crime thriller saw Hackman and co-star Willem Dafoe's characters up against the Ku Klux Klan.
© NL Beeld
19 / 33 Fotos
'Mississippi Burning' (1988)
- The film received seven Academy Awards nominations, including Best Actor for Hackman.
© NL Beeld
20 / 33 Fotos
'Unforgiven' (1992)
- Clint Eastwood's masterpiece revisionist Western drama won four Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Hackman as brutal sheriff "Little" Bill Daggett. Apparently, Hackman nearly turned down the role, worried about the violence depicted in the final scenes.
© NL Beeld
21 / 33 Fotos
Oscar for 'Unforgiven'
- Hackman holds aloft his Best Supporting Actor Oscar at the 65th Annual Academy Awards.
© Getty Images
22 / 33 Fotos
'The Firm' (1993)
- Hackman followed his role in the saddle with this legal thriller, based on the novel of the same name by John Grisham. The film found favor with many critics and was a box-office success.
© Getty Images
23 / 33 Fotos
'Crimson Tide' (1995)
- Hackman fared better in his next film, a thriller set in a submarine during heightened tensions between the US and post-Soviet Russia. Reviews were positive and box-office returns were extremely buoyant.
© Getty Images
24 / 33 Fotos
Family life
- Gene and his wife Betsy Hackman attend the premiere of 'The Chamber' 1996 at the Academy Theater in Beverly Hills, California.
© Getty Images
25 / 33 Fotos
'Absolute Power' (1997)
- On the set of Clint Eastwood's 'Absolute Power.' The film wasn't as fruitful as their previous collaboration, 'Unforgiven,' and performed poorly at the box office.
© Getty Images
26 / 33 Fotos
Life as an author
- By the late 1990s, Hackman had begun a parallel career as an author. He's pictured signing a copy of his first book, 'Wake of the Perdido Star,' in Chicago in 2000, which he co-authored with underwater archaeologist Daniel Lenihan.
© Getty Images
27 / 33 Fotos
'Behind Enemy Lines' (2001)
- Back as an actor, Hackman co-starred with Owen Wilson in this tale about a US pilot shot down over Bosnia during the Bosnian War. Despite negative reviews, the film took off at the box office.
© NL Beeld
28 / 33 Fotos
'Runaway Jury' (2003)
- Another adaptation of a John Grisham novel, 'Runaway Jury' drew a more positive response from critics, with Grisham himself remarking that it was a "smart, suspenseful" movie.
© NL Beeld
29 / 33 Fotos
Cecil B. DeMille Award
- Hackman poses with his Cecil B. DeMille Award backstage during the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2003.
© Getty Images
30 / 33 Fotos
'Welcome to Mooseport' (2004)
- Hackman's final film to date is this romantic comedy. While it saw a healthy return at the box office, critics spoke of a "bland" production that "squanders a talented cast."
© NL Beeld
31 / 33 Fotos
Retirement and writing
- Since retiring from acting in 2004, Hackman has narrated two documentaries and penned four more novels, his latest being 'Pursuit,' published in 2013. He continues to appear in public at occasional book signings, and has given radio interviews. See also: From fame to fiction: celebrities who moonlight as authors
© Getty Images
32 / 33 Fotos
Gene Hackman: celebrating the legacy of a Hollywood icon
The retired Oscar-winning actor has appeared in more than 60 films
© Getty Images
In a career that spanned six decades, retired actor Gene Hackman appeared in some of the most talked about movies of the day, including films like 'Bonnie and Clyde,' 'The French Connection,' 'Mississippi Burning,' and 'Unforgiven.' His last film to date is 2004's 'Welcome to Mooseport,' but since saying farewell to Hollywood, Hackman has forged a new career as a successful novelist.
Feeling nostalgic about his time on our screens? Then browse this gallery for an appreciation of the two-time Academy Award-winning actor.
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