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There are few people more deserving of the title of “Hollywood legend” than Gene Hackman.
With 102 actingcreditsto his name, he certainly deserves the praise.
And acting isn’t even Hackman’s only claim to fame.
Since then, Hackman has written four other works of fiction.
In 2004, Hackmanretiredfrom acting his last novel, “Pursuit,” was published in 2013.
Nevertheless, his legacy lives on.
It seems that Hackman will always be remembered as one of the Hollywood greats.
Here are some things you never knew about the actor and writer.
Well, it turns out, Gene Hackman never liked to have much input from his directors.
Instead, he prefers to direct himself.
For Hackman, the ideal directors were always blunt and straightforward.
Instead of relying on direction, Hackman always liked to make his own choices as an actor.
“I pity directors who work with me,” he laughed.
Nevertheless, Hackman remained a hugely popular actor amongst directors.
And that is probably thanks to how he approached his characters.
For Hackman, acting was never about coming across well personally.
As Hackman explained toGQin 2011, he always thought the key to good acting was honesty.
The pair, hilariously, were named “least likely to succeed.”
As Hackman toldFilm Comment, this was because neither fit the stereotype of a young leading man.
“Dustin was thought of as amusing and strange,” Hackman recalled.
As for Hackman, he was considered too old to make it in the film industry.
Plus, he was already married at the time.
The pair became friends after being lumped together as character actors who would never achieve real fame.
Of course, in the end, both Hackman and Hoffman proved everyone wrong.
His father, who worked at a newspaper printing press, would occasionally beat him.
“He always went too far, laid it on pretty heavy,” he told theIndependent.
Then, when Hackman was 13, his father abandoned the family.
Just three years later, Hackman left his family, too, and lied to get into the Marines.
“I left home when I was 16 because I was looking for adventure,” the actor toldTime.
As Hackman told theU.S.
Naval Institute, he had been inspired to join the Marines because of his girlfriend at the time.
When her brother was killed on a mission, Hackman decided to join.
When you are a young man, sometimes your motives are pretty obscure and complicated."
So, every now and then, he found himself playing a character who got a little violent.
For Hackman, portraying violence was, however, always difficult for him.
One of Hackman’s best-known roles was in “The French Connection.”
In the film, Hackman is seen in several brutal fight scenes.
Hackman felt so uncomfortable, in fact, that the scene suffered as a result.
He even suggested to the director that he might need to be replaced by another actor.
For Gene Hackman, it was no different.
“And that was all that was needed.”
“I’m sorry for that, but that’s the way it is,” he toldGQ.
Slowly, he began taking on fewer and fewer acting roles so he could focus on writing.
In many ways, it was the perfect career move for Hackman as he got older.
Not only was writing easier for him to manage, but it was also something Hackman enjoyed.
“It’s very relaxing for me,” he toldEmpire.
“I don’t picture myself as a great writer, but I really enjoy the process.”
Throughout Hackman’s career, Cagney remained an important influence and idol for the actor.
“Nobody could do what he did.”
Even when Hackman later became a writer, he was still influenced by his childhood hero.
Clearly, Cagney has been an ever-present figure in Hackman’s creative life.
During those years, Hackman was less invested in his work.
In fact, he confessed that he often learned his lines while getting his makeup done in the morning.
Eventually, Hackman got a new agent, and everything changed.
“It started a whole string of films that seemed to have been better for me.
But it was a very tough time,” he told the outlet.
He added that he couldn’t really see what the legacy of the film might be.
“I don’t watch my films unless I absolutely have to,” he toldCigar Aficionado.
“I get very nervous.
It sounds like Hackman finds it uncomfortable to watch himself on screen (like many of us!
), so we can hardly blame him for avoiding “The French Connection” all these years.
By some accounts, Hackman wasn’t exactly an easy person to work with.
For one thing, he initially asked for more money.
According to some of the cast members, Hackman could also be a challenging colleague.
In fact, he was so good, he eventually had to pick between racing and acting.
“Would I have chosen racing over acting?
I’ve thought about it quite a bit,” he said.
“I have a feeling I wouldn’t have stayed in racing.
I don’t think I have the personality to be a real racing professional.”
As far as Hackman was concerned, he didn’t have the toughness required to become a professional racer.
In the end, we think he made the right choice.
“I can’t imagine [doing another film,]” he toldTimein 2011.
“But I still have a bit of a wanderlust about it.”
“She said, ‘No, I’m very sorry, sir,'” Hackman recalled.
And once he found fame, he never wanted to show it off.
He toldTimethat he doesn’t even know where his Oscars are, let alone display them in his home.
Instead, as he put it, “Around the house we just kind of keep it civilian.”
As someone who tried to portray what was given to them in an honest fashion.
I don’t know, beyond that.
I don’t think about [it] that often, to be honest.
I’m at an age where I should think about it.”
