Gene Hackman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gene Hackman
Hackman in 1972
Born	Eugene Allen Hackman (1930-01-30)January 30, 1930 San Bernardino, California, U.S.
Died	c. February 18, 2025(2025-02-18) (aged 95) Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1956–2004
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Faye Maltese ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 1986)​ Betsy Arakawa ​ ​ (m. 1991; died 2025)​
Children	3
Awards	Full list

Eugene Allen Hackman (born January 30, 1930 – died around February 18, 2025) was a famous American actor. He started his movie career in 1964 with the film Lilith.

Gene Hackman won two Academy Awards, which are like the highest honors in movies. His first Oscar was for Best Actor in the action thriller The French Connection (1971), where he played a detective named Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle. His second Oscar was for Best Supporting Actor in the Western movie Unforgiven (1992), where he played a sheriff.

He was also nominated for an Oscar for his roles in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), I Never Sang for My Father (1970), and Mississippi Burning (1988). Many people also know him for playing the villain Lex Luthor in three Superman movies from 1978 to 1987.

Hackman starred in many other popular films like The Poseidon Adventure (1972), The Conversation (1974), Hoosiers (1986), The Firm (1993), Crimson Tide (1995), The Birdcage (1996), Enemy of the State (1998), and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001).

Gene Hackman was considered one of the best actors of his time. His acting career lasted over 40 years. He won many awards, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. He stopped acting after his last film, Welcome to Mooseport (2004). After that, he started writing novels and sometimes narrated TV documentaries until 2017.

Early Life and Military Service

Hackman in the U.S. Marine Corps

Eugene Allen Hackman was born on January 30, 1930, in San Bernardino, California. His parents were Anna Lyda Elizabeth and Eugene Ezra Hackman. He had one brother, Richard. His mother, Anna, was an actress, painter, and pianist.

His family moved often. They eventually settled in Danville, Illinois, living with his grandmother. His father worked at a local newspaper. Gene Hackman decided he wanted to be an actor when he was 10 years old. When he was 13, his parents divorced, and his father left the family.

Hackman left home at 16. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps by saying he was older than he was. He served for four and a half years as a radio operator. He was stationed in China and later in Hawaii and Japan. After leaving the Marines in 1951, Hackman moved to New York City. He worked many different jobs there. In 1962, his mother died in an accidental fire. Hackman later studied journalism and TV production at the University of Illinois but left before finishing. He then moved back to California.

Career Highlights

Starting His Acting Journey (1956–1969)

In 1956, Gene Hackman began his acting career. He joined the Pasadena Playhouse in California. There, he became friends with another actor, Dustin Hoffman. Their classmates voted them "the least likely to succeed." Hackman also got the lowest score ever given at the Playhouse.

Determined to prove them wrong, Hackman moved to New York City. He worked odd jobs to support himself. He started acting in plays that were not on Broadway. His first play was Witness for the Prosecution in 1957. He also had small roles in movies and TV shows.

In 1963, he made his Broadway debut. A play called Any Wednesday in 1964 was a big success for him. This helped him get roles in movies. His first credited movie role was in Lilith.

Hackman (left) with the cast of Bonnie and Clyde in 1967

In 1967, he played Buck Barrow in the crime drama Bonnie and Clyde. This role earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He continued to appear in TV shows and movies. In 1969, he played a ski coach in Downhill Racer and an astronaut in Marooned.

Becoming a Star (1970–1979)

Hackman (4th from the left) while celebrating the Academy Awards with cast members of The Poseidon Adventure in 1972

Hackman received another Oscar nomination for his role in I Never Sang for My Father (1970). He played a son who struggled to talk with his father. In 1971, he won his first Academy Award for Best Actor. This was for his role as Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in The French Connection. This movie made him a big star.

After The French Connection, Hackman starred in many films. He was one of the busiest actors in Hollywood. He appeared in the disaster film The Poseidon Adventure (1972). He also starred with Al Pacino in Scarecrow (1973), which was his favorite role. This film won a top award at the Cannes Film Festival.

In 1974, he played a surveillance expert in The Conversation. This movie also won an award at Cannes. That same year, he had a funny cameo as a blind man in Young Frankenstein. He also played his Oscar-winning role again in French Connection II (1975).

Hackman showed his talent for comedy as the criminal mastermind Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie (1978). He played this role again in Superman II (1980) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).

Continued Success and Awards (1980–1999)

During the 1980s, Hackman took on both main and supporting roles. He was in Reds (1981) and Under Fire (1983). He also voiced God in Two of a Kind.

In 1986, Hackman played a high school basketball coach in Hoosiers. This movie is considered one of the greatest sports films ever. He was very busy during this time, starring in many movies.

In 1988, Hackman starred in Mississippi Burning. He played an FBI agent investigating a crime. He received another Oscar nomination for Best Actor for this role.

In 1992, Hackman played the cruel sheriff "Little Bill" Daggett in the Western Unforgiven. He had promised to avoid violent roles, but Clint Eastwood convinced him to take this part. This role earned him his second Oscar, this time for Best Supporting Actor. The film also won Best Picture.

Hackman returned to Broadway in 1992 in the play Death and the Maiden. In 1993, he co-starred with Tom Cruise in The Firm, a legal thriller. He also appeared in two other films based on John Grisham novels: The Chamber (1996) and Runaway Jury (2003).

Other films in the 1990s included Wyatt Earp (1994), The Quick and the Dead (1995), and Crimson Tide (1995). He also played a film producer in the comedy-drama Get Shorty (1995). In 1996, he took a funny role as a conservative Senator in The Birdcage with Robin Williams. He also starred with Will Smith in Enemy of the State (1998).

Last Films and Retirement (2000–2004)

Hackman in 2008

In the 2000s, Hackman continued to act in various films. He starred with Morgan Freeman in Under Suspicion (2000) and with Keanu Reeves in The Replacements (2000). He also appeared in Behind Enemy Lines (2001) and Heartbreakers (2001).

Hackman received much praise for his role in Wes Anderson's comedy The Royal Tenenbaums (2001). He played the head of an unusual family. For this performance, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.

In 2003, he starred in another John Grisham movie, Runaway Jury, finally working with his long-time friend Dustin Hoffman. His final film role was in the comedy Welcome to Mooseport (2004), where he appeared with Ray Romano.

In 2003, Hackman received the Cecil B. DeMille Award from the Golden Globe Awards. This award honored his amazing contributions to entertainment. In July 2004, Hackman announced that he was not planning any more films. In 2008, he confirmed that he had retired from acting. He said he retired because a stress test showed his heart was not in good enough shape for the demands of acting.

Other Work

Hackman at a book signing in 2008

After retiring from acting, Gene Hackman became a writer. He wrote three historical fiction novels with Daniel Lenihan: Wake of the Perdido Star (1999), Justice for None (2004), and Escape from Andersonville (2008).

He also wrote two novels by himself: Payback at Morning Peak (2011) and Pursuit (2013).

Hackman also narrated several documentaries. In 2007, he narrated four episodes of the sports documentary series America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions. He also narrated two documentaries about the United States Marine Corps in 2016 and 2017.

Personal Life

Family and Interests

In 1956, Gene Hackman married Faye Maltese. They had three children: Christopher Allen, Elizabeth Jean, and Leslie Anne. They divorced in 1986 after 30 years of marriage.

On December 1, 1991, Hackman married classical pianist Betsy Arakawa. They had been dating for seven years. They lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Their home was featured in Architectural Digest magazine.

Hackman (right) with President Ronald Reagan in 1987

Hackman supported the Democratic Party. He was also interested in sports cars and racing. In 1980, he won the Long Beach Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. He also enjoyed cycling and was a fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars football team.

He was also interested in architecture and design. He designed and restored many homes.

Health and Passing

In 1990, Hackman had a heart procedure called an angioplasty. In 2012, he was hit by a truck while cycling but only had minor injuries.

Gene Hackman passed away around February 18, 2025, at the age of 95. He had severe heart disease and advanced Alzheimer's disease. His wife, Betsy Arakawa, had passed away a few days earlier. Their bodies were found on February 26, 2025.

Tributes and Legacy

Many people from the film industry shared their sadness after Hackman's passing. Clint Eastwood, who directed Hackman in two films, said, "There was no finer actor than Gene. Intense and instinctive. Never a false note." Francis Ford Coppola, who directed him in The Conversation, called him "a great actor, inspiring and magnificent."

Morgan Freeman honored Hackman at the 97th Academy Awards. He said Hackman was a "generous performer whose gifts elevated everyone's work." Other actors who paid tribute included Dustin Hoffman, Glenn Close, Tom Hanks, Viola Davis, and Robin Williams. Film critics praised his unique acting style and presence.

An asteroid, 55397 Hackman, was named in his honor in 2019.

Selected Filmography

Awards and Nominations

Gene Hackman received many important awards for his acting. These include:

• Two Academy Awards (Oscars)
• Two British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs)
• Four Golden Globe Awards
• One Screen Actors Guild Award

He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Bonnie & Clyde (1967) and I Never Sang for My Father (1970). He won the Best Actor Oscar for The French Connection (1971). He was nominated for Best Actor again for Mississippi Burning (1988). He won his second Oscar, for Best Supporting Actor, for Unforgiven (1992).

See also

In Spanish: Gene Hackman para niños