He was not your conventional good-looking Hollywood hero. In his own words, Gene Hackman described himself as “just a regular Joe”.’ But he made it up by taking on several diverse roles and sinking deeply into the characters he played. The result was that he had a career spanning over four decades, gaining acceptance as a leading character actor known for his versatility and winning two Academy Awards, two British Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. Partab Ramchand traces the life and times of the actor who recently passed away
Gene Hackman who passed away in February at the age of 95 had a slow start in the 1960s but his career picked up steam in the 1970s, especially after his Oscar-winning performance in The French Connection (1971). There was just no looking back after that and, in fact, he became a leading figure in the New Hollywood Movement from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s when a new generation of film-makers came to prominence. They attempted fresh themes, reaching out to the young audience which Hollywood seemed to be losing. The films became more violent and were ambiguous in regard to moral values. The collective of actors, screenwriters and directors dubbed the New Hollywood by the press briefly changed the business from the producer-driven Hollywood system of the past.
While filmmakers like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich and Francis Ford Coppola were in the forefront of the movement, they still needed suitable actors to portray the characters they etched. Hackman was in the forefront of these performers among whom were the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson, Robert Redford, Sylvester Stallone and John Travolta. Hackman had got his breakthrough role in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), playing Warren Beatty’s brother Buck Barrow in that landmark film (earning his first Academy Award nomination), and broadened his scope in the decade that followed, appearing in well-received films such as I Never Sang for My Father for which he received his second Academy Award nomination, Marooned, The Poseidon Adventure and The Conversation. But it was his role as Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle in The French Connection that made him an unexpected star. As a dogged New York cop given to violence and tracking down a drug ring, Hackman lived the role admirably. The movie directed by William Friedkin with its famous car chase scene on the roads of New York was a critical and commercial success and Hackman as Best Actor won one of the film’s five Oscars.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Hackman did much good work his performance in The Conversation directed by Coppola being particularly well received. Hackman played a bugging device expert who lives only for his work but finally develops a conscience. His willingness to take on different roles was emphasised when he played Lex Luthor, Superman’s nemesis in three Superman films between 1978 and 1987. He brought a touch of light humour to his villainous role and emerged as a loveable rascal. And despite being pitted along with several Oscar winners, he held his own in the highly popular disaster movie The Poseidon Adventure. He also excelled in the road comedy drama Scarecrow, alongside Al Pacino. It was one of Hackman’s favourite roles of his career. In 1975, Hackman reprised his Oscar-winning role as Doyle in the sequel French Connection II for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.
Hackman continued to work with top directors and sharing screen space with other leading stars and his thorough professionalism saw him get a second Oscar – this time for Supporting Actor –for the 1992 film Unforgiven, in which he played a sadistic sheriff. The film was directed by Clint Eastwood and though Hackman had pledged to avoid violent roles, Eastwood convinced him to take the part, a role for which he received high acclaim.
Hackman went on to work till the start of the New Millennium and his last appearance was in Welcome to Mooseport (2004). In July 2004, he gave a rare interview to Larry King where he announced that he had no future film projects lined up and believed his acting career was over. And in 2008, while promoting his third novel, he confirmed that he had retired from acting. That same year he made his last televised appearance. Shortly afterwards, he went into retirement along with his second wife Betsy Arakawa, a classical pianist, to Santa Fe, New Mexico where he passed away. The couple were found dead in their New Mexico home. It is reported that Hackman died a week after Arakawa.
(The writer is a veteran sports writer who spent his career working for The Indian Express and The Telegraph and Sportsworld. He has more than a passing interest in films and music. He lives in Chennai.)
from Webdoux