Gene Hackman, actor. Biography

Gene Hackman (full name Eugene Alden Hackman) was born in 1930 in the American city of San Bernardino, California. As a child, he and his family moved to Illinois, where his father got a job at a printing company. When the future actor turned 13, his parents divorced, and his maternal grandmother took over the upbringing of the boy.At the age of 16, to support his family, Eugene decided to enlist in the Navy. Minors were accepted into the army only with the consent of their parents, but the young man knew that his mother was unlikely to allow him to become a soldier. Therefore, after taking credit for a couple of years, he joined the Marines on his own. There he completed his school curriculum and trained as a radio operator. Four and a half years later, he was discharged due to injury.

As a former military officer, Hackman was eligible for free tuition at any university in the country and became a student at the University of Illinois Department of Journalism and Television Production. However, six months later, he dropped out of school and moved to New York, and then to California. There he enrolled in acting courses at the Pasadena Playhouse.

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Teachers and peers did not see Hackman's acting potential. Together with his friend and classmate Dustin Hoffman, he was recognized as the "least promising" student. However, this did not stop Hackman, who dreamed of a stage and big screens. After several months of training, he returned to New York and began acting in a non-professional theater, while simultaneously working as a fitter and prop designer. In the early 1960s, the actor also performed several cameo roles in films, but they did not bring him fame.

In 1964, Hackman managed to get a role in the Broadway play "Any Wednesday." The production proved to be extremely successful and helped the actor attract attention in professional circles. In the same year, he was invited to shoot the drama "Lilith". There he met the already famous actor Warren Beatty, who highly appreciated the work of the artist. In 1967, he invited his former partner to play the brother of the main character in the movie "Bonnie and Clyde." The film received rave reviews from critics and viewers, and Hackman himself was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.In 1970, Hackman played one of the main roles in the psychological drama "I Never Sang to my Father" and was again nominated for an Oscar. However, his real fame came after the release of the action movie "The French Connection," in which the actor appeared as detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, leading the fight against drug dealers on the streets of New York. For this work, Hackman received three prestigious awards at once: Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA Award.

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After that, the actor's career skyrocketed. He participated in many famous projects such as "Conversation" (1974), "Young Frankenstein" (1974), "Bridge Too Far" (1977), "Under Fire" (1983), "No Way Out" (1987) and others. In 1978, Hackman played the role of charismatic villain Lex Luthor in the movie Superman, and in 1992 he played the cruel Sheriff Daggett in the western Unforgiven. After that, the actor joined the star cast of another Wild West movie, The Fast and the Dead, starring Sharon Stone and Leonardo DiCaprio.

In 2004, Hackman announced the end of his acting career. In total, his filmography includes more than 90 roles in various films. After his retirement, the artist focused on writing books and painting.

Gene Hackman — personal life

The actor met his first wife Faye Maltis before gaining fame. At that time, the girl was working as a cashier in a bank, and Hackman himself performed in small theaters and auditioned. They married in 1956 and were married for 30 years. Together, the couple raised three children: daughters Elizabeth and Leslie and son Christopher. However, in 1986, their marriage broke up.

Hackman's second wife in 1991 was pianist Betsy Arakawa.

Gene Hackman — death

Hackman's death became known on February 27, 2025. According to the tabloid Daily Mail, the bodies of the 95-year-old actor, his 60-year-old wife and their dog were found in the family home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The police noted that the death of the couple was not violent, but the exact cause of their deaths has not yet been established.