Gene Hackman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eugene Alden "Gene" Hackman[1] (born January 30, 1930) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor. He came to fame during the 1970s, after his role in The French Connection, and continued to appear in major roles in Hollywood films, including Harry Caul in The Conversation, Norman Dale in Hoosiers and Brill in Enemy of the State.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California, the son of Lyda (née Gray) and Eugene Ezra Hackman. He has a brother, Richard. Hackman's family moved from one place to another until finally settling in Danville, Illinois, where they lived in the house of his maternal grandmother, Beatrice, and where Hackman's father operated the printing press for the Commercial-News, a local paper.[2] Hackman's parents divorced in 1943.[2] His mother died in 1962, as a result of a fire she accidentally set while smoking.[3] At sixteen, Hackman left home to join the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served 3 years as a field radio operator. Having finished his service, he moved to New York, working in several minor jobs before moving to study television production and journalism at the University of Illinois under the G.I. Bill.
[edit] Career
[edit] 1960s
Already over 30 years old, Hackman decided to become an actor, and joined the Pasadena Playhouse in California. It was there that he forged a friendship with another aspiring actor, Dustin Hoffman. Already seen as outsiders by their classmates, Hackman and Hoffman were later voted "The Least Likely To Succeed". Determined to prove them wrong, Hackman hopped on a bus bound for New York City. A 2004 article in Vanity Fair described how Hackman, Hoffman and Robert Duvall were all struggling actors and close friends while living in New York City in the 1960s. Hackman was working as a doorman when he ran into an instructor whom he had despised at the Pasadena Playhouse. Reinforcing "The Least Likely To Succeed" vote, the man had said "See Hackman, I told you you wouldn't amount to anything." (Some reports allege that it was one of his former drill instructors from the Marines who saw him there and told him this.)
Hackman began performing in several off-Broadway plays. Finally, in 1964, he had the offer to play on Broadway, which opened the door to film work. His first role was in Lilith, with Warren Beatty in the leading role. Another supporting role, Buck Barrow, in 1967's Bonnie and Clyde, earned him an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor.
[edit] 1970s
In 1970, he was again nominated for the same award, this time for I Never Sang for My Father, working alongside Melvyn Douglas and Estelle Parsons. The next year he won the Best Actor award for his memorable performance as Popeye Doyle in The French Connection, marking his graduation to leading man status. He followed this with leading roles in the disaster film The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation (1974) which was nominated for several Oscars. That same year, Hackman appeared in one of his most famous comedic roles as the Blindman in Young Frankenstein. He later appeared in the star-studded war film A Bridge Too Far (1977), and showed a talent for both comedy and the "slow burn" as Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie (1978) and Superman II (1980).
[edit] 1980s
By the end of the 1980s, Hackman was a well respected actor and alternated between leading and supporting roles, earning another Best Actor nomination for Mississippi Burning, and appearing in such films as Reds, Under Fire, Hoosiers, Power, and Bat*21.
[edit] 1990s
In 1990, he underwent heart surgery, which kept him away from work for a while, although he still found time for a remake of The Narrow Margin. In 1992, he played the violent sheriff Bill Daggett in the western Unforgiven, directed by Clint Eastwood and written by David Webb Peoples which earned him a second Oscar, this time for Best Supporting Actor, the film itself won Best Picture. In 1995, he played John Herod in The Quick and the Dead, as well as Captain Frank Ramsey in the film Crimson Tide. He also starred in the 1998 film Enemy of the State, where his character was reminiscent of the one he played in The Conversation.
[edit] 2000s
He starred in Heist as an aging professional thief of considerable skill who is forced into taking one final heist, all the while he has been "burned," his face having been seen on tape during a previous job. He also played in the ensemble cast films The Royal Tenenbaums and Runaway Jury.
[edit] Present
While lacking the iconic status of contemporaries such as Robert De Niro, Al Pacino or Jack Nicholson, Hackman has an ability to disappear into the roles he plays, blending a character actor aesthetic with his leading man status. He is also unusually versatile, able to deliver hard-edged performances in The French Connection and Mississippi Burning as well as convincing comedic turns in fare such as The Birdcage and The Royal Tenenbaums. Together with undersea archaeologist Daniel Lenihan, Hackman also wrote two novels: Wake of the Perdido Star (1999) and Justice for None (2004).
His final film to date was the critically panned Welcome to Mooseport.
His distinctive voice can be heard in television commercials from time-to-time, notably for United Airlines, GTE, CNN, and more recently for Oppenheimer Funds and Lowe's Home Improvement.
[edit] Personal life
Hackman's first wife was Faye Maltese. They had three children, Christopher Allen, Elizabeth Jean, and Leslie Anne, but the couple divorced in 1986 after 30 years of marriage. In 1991, Hackman married Betsy Arakawa. They live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Betsy is co-owner of an upscale retail home-furnishing store in Santa Fe, called Pandora's, Inc. On July 7, 2004, Hackman gave a rare interview to Larry King, in which he announced that he had no future film projects lined up, and believes his acting career is over.
[edit] Academy Awards and nominations
- 1967 - Nominated - Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Bonnie and Clyde
- 1970 - Nominated - Best Actor in a Supporting Role - I Never Sang for My Father
- 1971 - Won - Best Actor in a Leading Role - The French Connection
- 1988 - Nominated - Best Actor in a Leading Role - Mississippi Burning
- 1992 - Won - Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Unforgiven
[edit] Filmography
Films starring Gene Hackman |
|---|
Hawaii (1966) • Bonnie & Clyde (1967) • The Gypsy Moths (1969) • Downhill Racer (1969) • Marooned (1969) • I Never Sang for My Father (1970) • The Hunting Party (1971) • The French Connection (1971) • Prime Cut (1972) • The Poseidon Adventure (1972) • Scarecrow (1973) • The Conversation (1974) • French Connection II (1975) • Night Moves (1975) • Bite the Bullet (1975) • The Domino Principle (1977) • A Bridge Too Far (1977) • March or Die (1977) • Superman (1978) • Superman II (1980) • All Night Long (1981) • Reds (1981) • Under Fire (1983) • Uncommon Valor (1983) • Eureka (1984) • Misunderstood (1984) • Twice in a Lifetime (1985) • Target (1985) • Hoosiers (1986) • No Way Out (1987) • Superman IV (1987) • Bat*21 (1988) • Mississippi Burning (1988) • The Package (1989) • Loose Cannons (1990) • Postcards from the Edge (1990) • Narrow Margin (1990) • Class Action (1991) • Company Business (1991) • Unforgiven (1992) • The Firm (1993) • Geronimo: An American Legend (1993) • The Quick and the Dead (1995) • Crimson Tide (1995) • Get Shorty (1995) • The Birdcage (1996) • Extreme Measures (1996) • The Chamber (1996) • Absolute Power (1997) • Twilight (1998) • Enemy of the State (1998) • Antz (1998) • Under Suspicion (2000) • The Replacements (2000) • Heist (2001) • The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) • Behind Enemy Lines (2001) • Runaway Jury (2003) • Welcome to Mooseport (2004) |
[edit] References
- ^ His middle name is "Allen", according to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905-1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At Ancestry.com
- ^ a b Leman, Kevin (2007). What Your Childhood Memories Say about You: And What You Can Do about It. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 154. ISBN1414311869.
- ^ http://www.eonline.com/celebrities/profile/index.jsp?uuid=c0858f3a-5eb8-43b9-a2ef-58ff21dbf25c
[edit] External links
- Gene Hackman at the Internet Movie Database
- Gene Hackman at the TCM Movie Database
- Gene Hackman at the Internet Broadway Database
| Preceded by Lyle Talbot for Atom Man vs. Superman | Actors portraying Lex Luthor 1978 for Superman | Succeeded by John Shea for Lois and Clark |
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jack Palance for City Slickers | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor 1993 for Unforgiven | Succeeded by Tommy Lee Jones for The Fugitive |
| Preceded by George C. Scott for Patton | Academy Award for Best Actor 1971 for The French Connection | Succeeded by Marlon Brando for The Godfather |
| Preceded by George C. Scott for Patton | NYFCC Award for Best Actor 1971 for The French Connection | Succeeded by Laurence Olivier for Sleuth |
| Preceded by Samuel L. Jackson for Jungle Fever | NYFCC Award for Best Supporting Actor 1992 for Unforgiven | Succeeded by Ralph Fiennes for Schindler's List |
| Preceded by Alan Rickman for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves | BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role 1993 for Unforgiven | Succeeded by Ralph Fiennes for Schindler's List |
| Preceded by Peter Finch for Sunday Bloody Sunday | BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role 1972 for The French Connection and The Poseidon Adventure | Succeeded by Walter Matthau for Charley Varrick and Pete 'n' Tillie |
| Preceded by George C. Scott for Patton | Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama 1971 for The French Connection | Succeeded by Marlon Brando for The Godfather |
| Preceded by Jack Palance for City Slickers | Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture 1993 for Unforgiven | Succeeded by Tommy Lee Jones for The Fugitive |
| Preceded by George Clooney for O Brother, Where Art Thou? | Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture 2001 for The Royal Tenenbaums | Succeeded by Richard Gere for Chicago |
| Preceded by Harrison Ford | Cecil B. DeMille Award 2003 | Succeeded by Michael Douglas |
| Preceded by Kevin Bacon, Tom Hanks, Ed Harris, Bill Paxton, Kathleen Quinlan, Gary Sinise for Apollo 13 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture 1996 for The Birdcage | Succeeded by Mark Addy, Paul Barber, Robert Carlyle, Deirdre Costello, Steve Huison, Bruce Jones, Lesley Sharp, William Snape, Hugo Speer, Tom Wilkinson, Emily Woof for The Full Monty |
| Preceded by Tom Hanks for Cast Away | CFCA Award for Best Actor 2001 for The Royal Tenenbaums | Succeeded by Daniel Day-Lewis for Gangs of New York |
| Preceded by George C. Scott for Patton | NBR Award for Best Actor 1971 for The French Connection | Succeeded by Peter O'Toole for Man of La Mancha and The Ruling Class |
| Preceded by Robert Ryan for The Iceman Cometh | NBR Award for Best Actor 1974 for The Conversation | Succeeded by Jack Nicholson for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest |
| Preceded by Michael Douglas for Wall Street | NBR Award for Best Actor 1988 for Mississippi Burning | Succeeded by Morgan Freeman for Driving Miss Daisy |
| Preceded by Jörg Pose and Manfred Möck for Einer trage des anderen Last | Silver Bear-Best Actor - Berlin International Film Festival 1989 for Mississippi Burning | Succeeded by Iain Glen for Silent Scream |
| Preceded by Samuel L. Jackson for Jungle Fever | KCFCC Award for Best Supporting Actor 1992 for Unforgiven | Succeeded by Tommy Lee Jones for The Fugitive |
| Preceded by George C. Scott for Patton | KCFCC Award for Best Actor 1971 for The French Connection | Succeeded by Marlon Brando and Stacy Keach for The Godfather and Fat City |
| Preceded by Michael Lerner for Barton Fink | LAFCA Award for Best Supporting Actor 1992 for Unforgiven | Succeeded by Tommy Lee Jones for The Fugitive |
| Preceded by Javier Bardem for Before Night Falls | NSFC Award for Best Actor 2002 for The Royal Tenenbaums | Succeeded by Adrien Brody for The Pianist |
| Preceded by No Award Ceremony for N/A | NSFC Award for Best Supporting Actor 1967 for Bonnie and Clyde | Succeeded by Seymour Cassel for Faces |
| Preceded by Harvey Keitel for Bugsy and Thelma & Louise | NSFC Award for Best Supporting Actor 1992 for Unforgiven | Succeeded by Ralph Fiennes for Schindler's List |
| Preceded by Clint Eastwood, David Valdes, David Webb Peoples, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris for Unforgiven | Bronze Wrangler for Theatrical Motion Picture 1994 for Geronimo: An American Legend | Succeeded by Edward Zwick, William D. Wittliff, Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt for Legends of the Fall |
| Preceded by Lindsay Law, Kenji Yamamoto, Nancy Kelly, Anne Makepeace, Rosalind Chao, Chris Cooper for Thousand Pieces of Gold | Bronze Wrangler for Theatrical Motion Picture 1993 for Unforgiven | Succeeded by Walter Hill, Neil Canton, John Milius, Larry Gross, Gene Hackman, Michael S. Glick, Lloyd Ahern II, Jason Patric, Robert Duvall, Wes Studi for Geronimo: An American Legend |
| Preceded by Bengt Forslund, Jan Troell, Eddie Axberg, Liv Ullmann, Max von Sydow for Nybyggarna | Bronze Wrangler for Theatrical Motion Picture 1976 for Bite the Bullet | Succeeded by Beth Ferris, Annick Smith, Michael Hausman, Richard Pearce, Conchata Ferrell, Megan Folsom, Lilia Skala, Rip Torn for Heartland |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Hackman, Gene |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Hackman, Eugene Alden |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 30 1930 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | San Bernardino, California, U.S. |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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Categories: 1930 births | American film actors | BAFTA winners (people) | Best Actor Academy Award winners | Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) | Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) | Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners | Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) | California actors | Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award | Living people | People from Danville, Illinois | United States Marines | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign alumni | Members of Art Students League of New York | People from San Bernardino, California
