The actor and writer Gene Hackman was found dead on Wednesday with his wife, the pianist Betsy Arakawa, at his home in Santa Fe (New Mexico). The Californian, winner of two Oscar awards, four Golden Globes and Four Bafta; He participated in about a hundred films since after thirty, he decided to bet on dedicating himself to interpretation. His first chance in the cinema was given by Burta Bolan in 1961, in the feature film Mad Dog Callalthough it did not appear in the credits titles.
Later some of his most emblematic papers would arrive, starting with Clyde Barrow’s brother in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), by Arthur Penn, for which he opted for the first time to the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
‘The French Connection’ (1971)
Hackman won his first Oscar, for best main actor, for his role in this thriller directed by William Friedkin. In him he embodied the police specialized in finding drug trafficking networks in New York Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle. Their investigations with Buddy Rosso lead them to follow Alain Charnier’s track, a French trafficker who has just arrived in the city willing to do business. The feature film, which was based on real events, obtained four other statuettes: best film, best director, best adapted script and better assembly.
‘The conversation’ (1974)
Also within the police cinema, the actor put himself in the hands of Francis Ford Coppola to lead The conversationanother of his most emblematic works. The film tells the story Henry Caul (Hackman), a prestigious spy specialized in surveillance and security systems, which is hired for a torque tycoon that investigates his young wife, from which he suspects that he maintains a relationship with one of his employees. The case seems to have not much interest, since it does not find any indication of infidelity, but once it gives its commission for finished, it ends up realizing that there was a piece that did not fit: the client never identifies and always uses intermediaries to connect with him.
‘Superman’ (1978)
Hackman was in charge of first interpreting the villain Lex Luthor (who subsequently embodied other actors such as Jesse Eisenberg and Nicholas Hault) in the iconic Richard Donner tape, starring Christopher Reve. His charisma made him one of the best superhero cinema antagonists.
The director had to ‘deceive’ the interpreter to accept shaving the mustache for paper. Hackman refused at first and, as the filmmaker revealed in the interview book I’LL be in my trailer by John Badham and Craig Moddernos, he convinced him telling him that he would also. “Ok, but you have to do it right now,” he replied. Once responsible for the film’s makeup, Donner’s turn shaved, the director told him that he was not needed while the false mustache that had been put under his nose was started. According to him, the actor’s first reaction was between surprise and anger, but that he ended up laughing and from there was a “charm” during the rest of the filming; and that in fact he ended up being one of his best friends.
‘Missisippi’ (1988)
Willem Dafoe and Frances McDormand accompanied Hackman in this film by Alan Parker, nominated for seven Oscar awards, considered one of the most heartbreaking portraits of the Ku Klux Klan. Set in a southern Mississippi town in 1964, in which racism is deeply rooted, the Klux Klan violently claims white supremacy. In this context, three civil rights defenders disappear without a trace. Two of them are white Jews, and the third Afro -descendant.
The agents embodied by Hackman and Dafoe, who have very different characters, take care of the investigation. Each has their own way to resolve in case, but together they end up colliding with a wall of silence and racial prejudices by both the local population and some members of the Ku Klux Klan.
‘Hoosiers: more than idols’ (1986)
Essential film for all basketball lovers. David Anspaough directed this feature film in which Hackman plays a Very volunteer Basketball coach. Set in 1951, in Dale (Indiana), the first thing the ‘coach’ receives is rejection by both the players and the neighbors; But its tireless energy and passion for the game, makes it never desist in its mission of making each of the members of the squad better and, therefore, the team. The motivational discourse (see video) that gives your children before a final is a mandatory monologue capable of lifting the mood in any context, and anyone.
‘Without forgiveness’ (1992)
Hackman put himself under the orders of Clint Eastwood in one of his best films, Without forgivenessfor which he won his second Oscar, in this case for best secondary actor. The actor rejected the role at first, since he did not want to make more violent films, but Eastwood convinced him to explain that the objective of his work was precisely to be a complaint against violence. He didn’t lied. Gackman plays the violent and hard Sheriff who does not approve the intention of the characters embodied by Eastwood himself and Morgan Freeman to avenge a prostitute to which two men cut their face.
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