Gene Hackman
Highest Rated: 100% I Never Sang for My Father (1970)
Lowest Rated: 0% Loose Cannons (1990)
Birthday: Jan 30, 1930
Birthplace: San Bernardino, California, USA
A remarkably prolific and versatile talent, Gene Hackman was a successful character actor whose uncommon abilities and smart career choices ultimately made him a most unlikely leading man. In the tradition of Spencer Tracy, he excelled as an Everyman, consistently delivering intelligent, natural performances which established him among the most respected and well-liked stars of his era. Born January 30th, 1930 in San Bernardino, CA, Hackman joined the Marines at the age of 16 and later served in Korea. After studying journalism at the University of Illinois, he pursued a career in television production but later decided to try his hand at acting, attending a Pasadena drama school with fellow student Dustin Hoffman; ironically, they were both voted "least likely to succeed." After briefly appearing in the 1961 film Mad Dog Coll, Hackman made his debut off-Broadway in 1963's Children at Their Games, earning a Clarence Derwent Award for his supporting performance. Poor Richard followed, before he starred in 1964's production of Any Wednesday. Returning to films in 1964, Hackman earned strong notices for his work in Warren Beatty's Lilith and 1966's Hawaii, but the 1967 World War II tale First to Flight proved disastrous for all involved. At Beatty's request, Hackman co-starred in Bonnie and Clyde, winning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination and establishing himself as a leading character player. After making a pair of films with Jim Brown, (1968's The Split and 1969's Riot), Hackman supported Robert Redford in The Downhill Racer, Burt Lancaster in The Gypsy Moths, and Gregory Peck in Marooned. For 1970's I Never Sang for My Father, he garnered another Academy Award nomination. The following year Hackman became a star; as New York narcotics agent Popeye Doyle, a character rejected by at least seven other actors, he headlined William Friedkin's thriller The French Connection, winning a Best Actor Oscar and spurring the film to Best Picture honors. Upon successfully making the leap from supporting player to lead, he next appeared in the disaster epic The Poseidon Adventure, one of the biggest money-makers of 1972. After co-starring with Al Pacino in 1973's Scarecrow, Hackman delivered his strongest performance to date as a haunted surveillance expert in Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 classic The Conversation and went on to tap his under-utilized comedic skills in Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. Arthur Penn's grim 1975 thriller Night Moves and the Western Bite the Bullet followed before the actor agreed to The French Connection 2. While remaining the subject of great critical acclaim, Hackman's box-office prowess was beginning to slip: 1975's Lucky Lady, 1977's The Domino, and March or Die were all costly flops, and although 1978's Superman -- in which he appeared as the villainous Lex Luthor -- was a smash, his career continued to suffer greatly. Apart from the inevitable Superman 2, Hackman was absent from the screen for several years, and with the exception of a fleeting appearance in Beatty's 1981 epic Reds, most of his early-'80s work -- specifically, the features All Night Long and Eureka -- passed through theaters virtually unnoticed.Finally, a thankless role as an ill-fated war correspondent in Roger Spottiswoode's acclaimed 1983 drama Under Fire brought Hackman's career back to life. The follow-up, the action film Uncommon Valor, was also a hit, and while 1984's Misunderstood stalled, the next year's Twice in a Lifetime was a critical success. By the middle of the decade, Hackman was again as prolific as ever, headlining a pair of 1986 pictures -- the little-seen Power and the sleeper hit Hoosiers -- before returning to the Man of Steel franchise for 1987's Superman 4: The Quest for Peace. No Way Out, in which he co-starred with Kevin Costner, was also a hit. In 1988, Hackman starred in no less than five major releases: Woody Allen's Another Woman, the war drama Bat 21, the comedy Full Moon in Blue Water, the sports tale S

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Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

MOVIES

CREDIT
No Score Yet Superman: La Película Actor — 2018
No Score Yet We, the Marines Actor — 2017
80% I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale Actor — 2009
88% Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust Narrator — 2004
13% Welcome to Mooseport Monroe Cole $14.3M 2004
73% Runaway Jury Rankin Fitch $49.3M 2003
80% The Royal Tenenbaums Royal Tenenbaum $52.4M 2002
37% Behind Enemy Lines Adm. Reigart $58.8M 2001
66% Heist Joe Moore $23.3M 2001
No Score Yet Heroes of Iwo Jima Actor — 2001
53% Heartbreakers William B. Tensy — 2001
55% The Mexican Arnold Margolese $66.6M 2001
No Score Yet Heroes of Iwo Jima Host — 2001
49% Under Suspicion Henry Hearst Executive Producer — 2000
41% The Replacements Jimmy McGinty $44.1M 2000
No Score Yet Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows Actor — 2000
71% Enemy of the State Brill — 1998
93% Antz Gen. Mandible — 1998
60% Twilight Jack Ames — 1998
47% Absolute Power President Alan Richmond — 1997
12% The Chamber Sam Cayhall — 1996
56% Extreme Measures Dr. Lawrence Myrick — 1996
79% The Birdcage Sen. Keeley — 1996
87% Get Shorty Harry Zimm — 1995
88% Crimson Tide Capt. Frank Ramsey — 1995
57% The Quick and the Dead Herod — 1995
42% Wyatt Earp Nicholas Earp — 1994
75% The Firm Avery Tolar — 1993
50% Geronimo - An American Legend Gen. George Crook — 1993
96% Unforgiven Little Bill Daggett — 1992
No Score Yet Company Business Sam Boyd — 1991
75% Class Action Jedediah Tucker Ward — 1991
58% Narrow Margin Robert Caulfield — 1990
0% Loose Cannons MacArthur Stern — 1990
90% Postcards from the Edge Lowell — 1990
64% The Package Sgt. Johnny Gallagher — 1989
86% Mississippi Burning Anderson — 1988
81% Bat 21 Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton — 1988
67% Another Woman Larry Lewis — 1988
27% Full Moon in Blue Water Floyd — 1988
No Score Yet Split Decisions Dan McGuinn — 1988
91% No Way Out Defense Secretary David Brice — 1987
12% Superman IV: The Quest for Peace Lex Luthor — 1987
88% Hoosiers Coach Norman Dale — 1986
50% Power Wilfred Buckley — 1986
71% Target Walter Lloyd — 1985
83% Twice in a Lifetime Harry MacKenzie — 1985
40% Eureka Jack McCann — 1984
No Score Yet Misunderstood Ned — 1984
20% Two of a Kind Actor — 1983
56% Uncommon Valor Col. Rhodes — 1983
89% Under Fire Alex Grazier — 1983
92% Reds Pete Van Wherry — 1981
85% Superman II Lex Luthor — 1981
29% All Night Long George Dupler — 1981
94% Superman Lex Luthor — 1978
No Score Yet The Domino Principle Roy Tucker — 1977
62% A Bridge Too Far Maj. Gen. Sosabowski — 1977
No Score Yet March Or Die Maj. William Sherman Foster — 1977
No Score Yet A Look At Liv Actor — 1977
No Score Yet America at the Movies Actor — 1976
No Score Yet Lucky Lady Kibby — 1975
77% The French Connection II Doyle — 1975
71% Bite the Bullet Sam Clayton — 1975
82% Night Moves Harry Moseby — 1975
93% Young Frankenstein Blind Hermit — 1974
No Score Yet Zandy's Bride (For Better, for Worse) Zandy Allan — 1974
98% The Conversation Harry Caul — 1974
82% Scarecrow Max Millan — 1973
79% The Poseidon Adventure Frank Scott — 1972
70% Prime Cut "Mary Ann" — 1972
No Score Yet Cisco Pike Officer Leo Holland — 1972
98% The French Connection Jimmy `Popeye' Doyle — 1971
No Score Yet Doctors' Wives Dave Randolph — 1971
0% The Hunting Party Brandt Ruger — 1971
No Score Yet Hollywood Collection Actor — 1971
100% I Never Sang for My Father Gene Garrison — 1970
83% Marooned Buzz Lloyd — 1969
84% Downhill Racer Eugene Claire — 1969
No Score Yet The Gypsy Moths Joe Browdy — 1969
No Score Yet Riot Red Fraker — 1969
No Score Yet The Split Det. Lt. Walter Brill — 1968
88% Bonnie and Clyde Buck Barrow — 1967
No Score Yet Banning Tommy Del Gaddo — 1967
No Score Yet First to Fight Sgt. Tweed — 1967
67% Hawaii John Whipple — 1966
No Score Yet A Covenant with Death Harmsworth — 1966
100% Lilith Norman — 1964
No Score Yet Mad Dog Coll Cop — 1961

TV

CREDIT
No Score Yet American Masters
2001
Narrator
  • 1999

QUOTES FROM Gene Hackman CHARACTERS