Funny, violent, menacing, paranoid, unsettling: Eight films that highlight the talent of Gene Hackman

Four decades of career, more than 100 roles in film and television, two Oscars (for The French Connection and Unforgiven) and an unmistakable face to any film buff. Few actors have accumulated the body of work and achievements of Gene Hackman, who died Thursday at the age of 95. That is why it is especially difficult to select the most outstanding performances of such a cinematic legend. Crossing several lists, such as one compiled in 2015 by the British Film Institute (BFI), with his best-rated films on IMDb and Filmaffinity, these are eight of his most celebrated roles:

‘Bonnie and Clyde’ by Arthur Penn (1967)

Hackman’s first major role immediately earned him an Oscar nomination. He played Buck Barrow, “a dream role,” according to the BFI. The actor managed to turn Clyde’s unbearable brother, who was given to bad jokes and endless speeches, into a fan favorite with audiences. Moreover, Hackman managed to stand out despite sharing the screen with magnetic stars Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway.

‘The French Connection’ by William Friedkin (1971)

Four years later, Hackman is already an undisputed star. So much so that this time the Oscar nomination is in the main category. In addition, he wins the statuette, one of the many that Friedkin’s police thriller, which was crowned best film of the year, garnered. The actor, known among other things in his early career for his general good humor, was asked to do exactly the opposite: play Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, a despicable and violent character, inspired by the real-life detective Eddie Egan. Apparently, the director had to pressure him to tap further into the darker aspects of his role. Hackman achieved that and more: his definitive leap to stardom.

‘The Scarecrow’ by Jerry Schatzberg (1973)

The more Hollywood asked Hackman to play conflicted characters, the more the audience loved him. His Max, who sets out with Al Pacino on a road trip to Pittsburgh and the dream of opening a car wash, is quiet, surly, even violent at times. The two partners, however, find a way to understand each other and even become friends. In the process, the audience has the opportunity to see two of the best actors in history, side by side on screeen.

‘The Conversation’ by Francis Ford Coppola (1974)

Hackman plays Harry Caul, a paranoid, melancholic, aging and shy surveillance expert in Coppola’s tour de force. A priori, the opposite of an actor who enamored audiences with his smile. But, in addition to his physical attributes, the actor added enormous talent, which allowed him to transform himself into whatever the script required. In this case, however, it was more difficult for Hackman. Coppola said that the actor had trouble embodying a character so far removed from his real persona and that he became irritable during filming. It is said that the relationship between filmmaker and actor became strained during production. Hackman himself admitted that it had not been a pleasant experience for him. He learned to play the saxophone, grew an improbable mustache, and looked for clothes that were more than out of fashion. In the end, he himself considered The Conversation his favorite out of all the films he had acted in.

‘Superman’ by Richard Donner (1978)

As an example of Hackman’s eclecticism, it is worth remembering his foray into the superhero world. Specifically, as Superman’s greatest nemesis: Lex Luthor. A character who is, as is well-known, bald. Which brought as many problems for Hackman as understanding and interpreting him: he refused to shave his head. He did agree to cut off the mustache he had at the time, when Donner agreed to do the same to his. Later it was discovered, however, that the director had put on a fake one just to reach an agreement with the star. Getting Hackman was so important for the movie that in most of the credits his name appears before that of Superman himself, Christopher Reeve, who was practically unknown at the time.

‘Mississippi Burning’ by Alan Parker (1988)

Back to the limelight for Hackman, after a period more focused on supporting roles. And back to the astonishment of the audience: in the role of an FBI agent who investigates the disappearance of several civil rights activists, together with his partner, played by Willem Dafoe, the actor dominates the film, according to the BFI: “Whether beating up Brad Dourif in a barber’s shop, making jokes with Willem Dafoe’s uptight fellow agent, or gently flirting with Frances McDormand’s terrified Klan widow. He brings warmth and humour to a film which would otherwise lack both.” At the 1989 Oscars, where Hackman was nominated for best leading actor, a fragment of the film was shown that made him uncomfortable, as he considered it out of context. After that, he decided that he would not work on violent films again, which led him to reject The Silence of the Lambs and Unforgiven. At least, at first…

‘Unforgiven’ by Clint Eastwood (1992)

As in The French Connection, Hackman stands out in a film that is a critical and box office hit. It earned him his second Oscar, among several garnered by one of Eastwood’s most celebrated movies. Once again, he plays a menacing character: Sheriff Little Bill Daggett, “a deeply unpleasant man,” according to the BFI. When the actor first read the script, which had been circulating around Hollywood for years, he rejected it because of his promise to avoid violent films. However, Eastwood managed to convince him, fortunately for both actors, the film, and the public.

‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ by Wes Anderson (2001)

In one of Hackman’s last major film roles, at the age of 71, he plays an absentee father who pretends to have cancer in order to try to reunite with his family. The specialist website IMDb claims that the actor hesitated for a long while before accepting. On the one hand, because he believed that he himself had made his loved ones suffer on different occasions, hence his request for their approval. And, on the other, his experience and age pushed him to take things more calmly and with greater perspective. Wes Anderson’s promise that it would be a fun and relaxed experience was decisive. However, the actor did not consider that the agreement was being fulfilled, hence his verbal aggression towards the director. Gwyneth Paltrow and Anjelica Huston began to avoid him on set, other cast members described what happened as abuse, and Bill Murray turned up even on days when he was not needed to express his support for Anderson.

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