Gene Hackman embodies everything that a good actor should. He's tough and versatile, with the ability to be sympathetic. Better yet, Hackman can be a total bad-ass when it's needed.
Sadly, the native of San Bernardino, California, retired from acting in 2006. But the Oscar winner, who turns 83 in January, remains a flesh-and-blood force of nature on the silver screen. Case in point: His rich and rewarding comic turn as a misfit family's patriarch in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), which arrives today on Bluray in a deluxe, delirious Criterion Collection edition.
It's a must-see role by one of the best actors in the business. Here are more
Hackman highlights.
1 Unforgiven (1992). The role of Sheriff (Little Bill) Daggett was tailormade for Hackman, who played the villain as a stubborn SOB on both sides of the law. Hackman's blueribbon performance - a towering, career-crowning achievement - saw him elevate his game to the level of those around him. Clint Eastwood's classic western took home four Oscars at the 1993 Academy Awards, including a muchdeserved win by Hackman for best supporting actor.
2 The French Connection (1971). Few characters in American film history have as indelible a mark as Popeye Doyle, the centrepiece of William Friedkin's gritty cop drama. Hackman's NYPD detective is on the trail of drugs funnelled from Europe to the U.S., and will do almost anything to uncover the culprit. Hackman's anti-hero pushes the limits of police work in order to solve the crime. Timeless.
3 The Conversation (1974). Thought-provok-ing cinema hit on a winning streak in 1974 with the release of The Godfather Part II, Chinatown, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. One of the best that same year was Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, a thriller anchored by Hackman's stone-cold performance as a surveillance expert who may or may not be imagining things. Claustrophobic and paranoid, but essential viewing nonetheless.
4 Mississippi Burning (1988). Hackman is a ferocious live wire in Alan Parker's provocative factbased film about the investigation into the deaths of three civil rights workers in Mississippi in 1964. Hackman (Oscar nominated here) and Willem Dafoe (also excellent) play at-odds FBI agents assigned to the case, one whose racist tenets runs deep. That gives Hackman plenty of scenery to chew, which he does voraciously throughout.
5 Hoosiers (1986). One of the best sports movies ever made still rocks, even though it's a quarter-century old and features the occasional moment of '80s cheese. I credit its longevity to Hackman's splendid turn as a coach on the comeback trail. He was robbed of an Oscar nomination for his gut-punch performance. Whether you love sports films or two-hankie weepers, Hoosiers is for you.
6 The Royal Tenenbaums (2001). There are quirks aplenty in director Wes Anderson's ensemble film about a wacky family whose estranged patriarch, played by Hackman, attempts to win back his family. Hackman has a ball with the role, which is one of his best. Many feel his nuanced, dramedic performance, like his work in the aforementioned Hoosiers, was overlooked come Oscar time.
7 Get Shorty (1995). The movie based on Elmore Leonard's book of the same name features an impeccable list of actors, many of whom (Dennis Farina, Bette Midler, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini) make magic in minor roles. Of the top-billed cast, Hackman shines brighest - oversized dentures and all - as shady B-movie producer Harry Zimm. It's a comic tour-de force, one that goes nicely with his role in The Birdcage the following year.
8 I Never Sang for My Father (1970). Gil Cates's adaptation of the Robert Anderson stage favourite, one which explores the dynamics of a turbulent relationship between a domineering father (Melvyn Douglas) and his clipped-wing son (Hackman), has the look and feel of a play-turnedfilm. That can often be a drawback, but in this case it results in plenty of breathing room for its lead actors, both of whom were Oscar nominated for their excellent work.
9 Bonnie & Clyde (1967). Hackman was to have appeared in The Graduate (as the cuckolded husband of Mrs. Robinson) but was fired three weeks into rehearsal. That wound up being a blessing in disguise as the gap in his schedule allowed him to take the role as Clyde Barrow's older brother Buck, a lovable lug who accompanies the titular couple on their crime spree. Hackman earned his first Academy Award nomination for his efforts, one of three he earned in a remarkable four-year run.
10 Superman: The Movie (1978). There's no shortage of excellent action roles in Hackman's back catalogue work, be it the father searching for his missing son in 1983's Uncommon Valor, or the Navy general looking for war in 1995's Crimson Tide. Hackman's Lex Luthor is right up there in terms of quality. It's a pitch-perfect performance by Hackman in one of his first villainous roles.
