Gene Hackman wanted to be remembered as a ‘decent actor.’ He far surpassed that with these roles

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — Gene Hackman knew how he wanted to be remembered.

“As a decent actor,” he told GQ in 2011. “As someone who tried to portray what was given to them in an honest fashion.”

His career is now being reflected upon as the 95-year-old actor, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were found dead in their home in New Mexico earlier this week under circumstances officials deemed “suspicious enough” to warrant thorough investigation.

Hackman, a two-time Oscar-winner, was way more than a “decent actor.” Here are eight of the roles in which he proved just that:

‘Bonnie and Clyde’

By Hollywood standards, Hackman was a bit of a late bloomer.

He didn’t have his first break out role until 1967, when at the age of 37 he caught the industry’s attention with his scene-stealing role as Buck Barrow, the older brother of Clyde Barrow played by Warren Beatty. Hackman shined in the gangster film based on the real life story of outlaws Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, whose crimes during the Great Depression made them legends.

Hackman scored an Oscar nomination in the best supporting actor category for his role and while he lost to George Kennedy, who was nominated for “Cool Hand Luke,” Hackman’s mix of menace and manners as Buck Barrow is unforgettable.

‘The French Connection’

Hackman won his first of two Oscars in 1972 for his portrayal as hard-nosed detective, Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in “The French Connection.”

The film is considered one of the best crime dramas ever produced and Hackman was hailed for his performance, even though he told Cigar Aficionado in 2000 that he was “pretty unsure of myself” going into the role because Doyle “had to be pretty ruthless.”

“In the early parts of the filming, I just wasn’t up to it. When we shot a scene with the drug pusher that I chase down the street in the first scene of the movie, I wasn’t very good; it was just kind of weak. And I went to [director William Friedkin] and I said, ‘I don’t know if I can do this or not,’” Hackman recalled. “This was like the first or second day of filming, and he would have been in big trouble if, after having gone to bat for me, I couldn’t have done the work. And he said, ‘We’ll put it aside for now and continue on and maybe we can reshoot the scene later.’ And that’s what happened.”

‘Superman’

Leaning into crime also helped Hackman with what many may consider an unexpected role for the actor.

As villain Lex Luthor, often referred to as “the greatest criminal mind of all time” in the DC comics universe, Hackman got to camp it up a bit opposite Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent/Superman in the 1978 superhero film.

Even though an undercurrent of humor accompanied Hackman’s over the top approach, still present was the strength that fans of his acting were used to seeing.

‘The Conversation’

This 1974 classic cemented Hackman as a man who understood the assignment when it came to powerful acting.

As surveillance expert Harry Caul, Hackman managed to convey all of the character’s paranoia, brilliance and utter isolation with little dialogue. Instead, Hackman leaned into physicality – from facial tics to looks – to portray a scared introvert in one of his most subtle performances that was nevertheless powerful.

‘Mississippi Burning’

Hackman and Willem Dafoe played two FBI agents investigating the disappearance of three civil rights workers in the 1960s in this 1988 crime thriller.

As agent Rupert Anderson, Hackman has a memorable scene with some less-than-friendly locals who remind him that he left the area and is no longer welcome. He puts more into his iconic line – “Don’t you go mistaking me for some whole other body” – than some actors put into full performances.

“The French Connection” director William Friedkin said in an interview posted by the Academy eight years ago that Hackman “grew up disliking authority and he disliked racism” because he grew up without his father in a community where the Ku Klux Klan had a strong presence.

‘The Royal Tenenbaums’

This dark comedy gave Hackman a chance to have some fun opposite stars Ben Stiller, Danny Glover, Gwyneth Paltrow and Bill Murray, to name a few.

As the patriarch Royal Tenenbaum, Hackman perfectly executes the dialogue in this project directed by Wes Anderson and co-written by actor Owen Wilson. The character is both eccentric and not exactly honest in his quest to reunite with his estranged, now adult children in the film.

In the hands of any other actor, Royal may not have been beloved as he has been over the years. But Hackman gave the character a humanity that still continues to resonate with audiences, years after it was released in 2001.

‘Crimson Tide’

Hackman clearly came to play opposite Denzel Washington in this 1995 crime thriller.

As Capt. Franklin “Frank” Ramsey, a submarine commanding officer, his character clashes with Washington’s Lt. Cmdr. Ronald “Ron” Hunter, who is the executive officer.

Some of their scenes crackle as the pair disagree on whether or not they should launch nuclear missiles. And while Hackman was in the final stage of his acting career, he was no less up to the challenge as he infused the role with dignity, diving into the layers of a complex role.

‘Unforgiven’

Hackman won his second Academy Award more than 20 years after his first for the 1992 Western that starred Clint Eastwood, who also directed the film.

As brutal sheriff “Little” Bill Daggett, Hackman once again reminded audiences that the bad guys are often more than just villains. Ironically, it was a role he later said he almost passed up.

“It had been sent to me before when Francis Ford Coppola owned it and it didn’t happen. When Clint sent it to me, I didn’t give it a lot of thought. I thought it was just another Western,” he said in the Cigar Aficionado interview. “My agent, Fred Specktor, convinced me to read it again and to think of it more in terms of a bigger scope, a bigger picture. And he told me that Richard Harris and Morgan Freeman were going to be in it, so I reread it and decided to do it.”

He credited Eastwood with its success.

“I think the interesting thing about ‘Unforgiven’ was that it was the opportunity to totally commit to a character without having to think I was going too far or not to have to editorialize or edit myself in terms of what I was gonna do,” Hackman said. “And I think that was due to the atmosphere that Clint Eastwood set up.”

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