History Creator / GeneHackman

Hackman retired from acting in 2004, by which time he'd already written multiple books, and decided to become a full-time novelist.

''And let's not forget he took on Film/{{Superman}}! "''

* ''Film/AbsolutePower1997'' as President Allen Richmond

* ''Film/AbsolutePower'' (1997) as President Allen Richmond

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: His roles tend to be TheBrigadier, the ColonelBadass, the FourStarBadass, or the MajorlyAwesome.

Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman (born January 30, 1930 in San Bernardino, California) is a retired American actor and novelist.

* ItWillNeverCatchOn: He was widely dismissed as having no talent or future by his instructors and classmates during his brief time at the Pasadena Playhouse, even getting voted "the least likely to succeed" alongside another student there who was a friend of his. A former instructor even took a moment to [[KickTheDog tell him he knew he'd never amount to anything when he saw Hackman working as a doorman in New York some time later.]] Needless to say, he ended up proving them very wrong. [[Creator/DustinHoffman The other student]] ended up doing pretty well for himself, too.

* ItWillNeverCatchOn: He was widely dismissed as having no talent or future by his instructors and classmates during his brief time at the Pasadena Playhouse, even getting voted "the least likely to succeed" alongside another student there who was a friend of his. A former instructor even took a moment to [[KickTheDog tell him he knew he'd never amount to anything when he saw Hackman working as a doorman in New York some time later.]] Needless to say, he ended up proving them very wrong. The other student [[Creator/DustinHoffman ended up doing pretty well for himself, too.]]

* ''Film/{{Superman}}'' (1978) as ComicBook/LexLuthor
* ''Film/SupermanII'' (1980) as ComicBook/LexLuthor

* ''Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace'' (1987) as ComicBook/LexLuthor / voice of Nuclear Man

* ''Film/WelcomeToMooseport'' (2004) as Monroe Eagle Cole ([[OldShame The movie was so bad that it]] [[StarDerailingRole prompted him to retire from acting]])

* ItWillNeverCatchOn: He was widely dismissed as having no talent or future by his instructors and classmates during his brief time at the Pasadena Playhouse, even being voted "least likely to succeed" alongside another student who was a friend of his. A former instructor even took a moment to [[KickTheDog tell him he knew he'd never amount to anything when he saw Hackman as a doorman in New York years later.]] Needless to say, he ended up proving them very wrong. The other student [[Creator/DustinHoffman ended up doing pretty well for himself too.]]

* TheDanza: He played Eugene Claire in ''Film/DownhillRacer'' and Gene Garrison in ''I Never Sang for My Father'', but that was just serendipity, because it was the name of the character in the original play it was adapted from (Creator/HalHolbrook played the role on Broadway).

In a career spanning five decades, he has been nominated for five UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s (winning Best Actor for ''Film/TheFrenchConnection'' and Best Supporting Actor for ''Film/{{Unforgiven}}''), as well as eight UsefulNotes/{{Golden Globe Award}}s and five UsefulNotes/{{BAFTA}}s.

Hackman retired from acting in 2004. By then he had already written multiple books, and decided to become a full-time novelist.

* ''Film/Heist2001'' (2001) as Joe Moore

* ProductionPosse: Have starred in movies directed by Arthur Penn and Creator/ClintEastwood.

* TheOtherMarty: He was originally cast as Mr. Robinson in ''Film/TheGraduate'' before it was decided he was too young for the part and replaced with Murray Hamilton shortly into production.

* TheOtherMarty: He was originally cast as Mr. Robinson in ''Film/TheGraduate'' before it was decided he was too young for the part shortly into production.

* ''Film/NoWayOut'' (1987) as Defense Secretary David Brice