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->''"Gene musta made a thousand films''\\
''He's kissed a thousand girls''\\
''And made a thousand kills''\\
''And let's not forget he took on [[Film/SupermanTheMovie Superman]]!"''
-->--'''Hoodoo Gurus''', "Gene Hackman"

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

In a career spanning five decades, he was 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 which time he'd already written multiple books, and decided to become a full-time novelist. Although Creator/KevinBacon inspired the [[SixDegreesOfKevinBacon six degrees game]], a mathematical analysis determined that Hackman's extensive filmography across fifty years made him the most connected actor in Hollywood.
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!!Filmography:

* ''Film/BonnieAndClyde'' (1967) as Buck Barrow
* ''Film/TheGypsyMoths'' (1969) as Joe
* ''Film/DownhillRacer'' (1969) as Eugene Claire
* ''Film/{{Marooned}}'' (1969) as Buzz Lloyd
* ''Film/INeverSangForMyFather'' (1970) as Gene Garrison
* ''Film/TheFrenchConnection'' (1971) as NYPD Det. Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle
* ''Film/ThePoseidonAdventure'' (1972) as Reverend Frank Scott
* ''Film/PrimeCut'' (1972) as Mary Ann
* ''Film/{{Scarecrow|1973}}'' (1973) as Max
* ''Film/TheConversation'' (1974) as Harry Caul
* ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'' (1974) as the Blindman (Harold)
* ''Film/ZandysBride'' (1974) as Zandy Allan
* ''Film/NightMoves'' (1975) as Harry Moseby
* ''Film/BiteTheBullet'' (1975) as Sam Clayton
* ''Film/ABridgeTooFar'' (1977) as Maj Gen. Stanisław Sosabowski
* ''Film/SupermanFilmSeries'' as ComicBook/LexLuthor
** ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' (1978)
** ''Film/SupermanII'' (1980)
** ''Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace'' (1987) -- also the voice of Nuclear Man
* ''Film/{{Reds|1981}}'' (1981) as Pete Van Wherry
* ''Film/UncommonValor'' (1983) as Col. Jason Rhodes, USMC (ret)
* ''Film/UnderFire'' (1983) as Alex Grazier
* ''Film/{{Hoosiers}}'' (1986) as Coach Norman Dale
* ''Film/{{No Way Out|1987}}'' (1987) as Defense Secretary David Brice
* ''Film/BAT21'' (1988) as Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton, USAF
* ''Film/MississippiBurning'' (1988) as FBI Special Agent Rupert Anderson
* ''Film/LooseCannons'' (1990) as Det. [=MacArthur=] "Mac" Stern
* ''Film/PostcardsFromTheEdge'' (1990) as Lowell Kolchek
* ''Film/NarrowMargin'' (1990) as Robert Caulfield
* ''Film/ClassAction'' (1991) as Jedediah Tucker Ward
* ''Film/{{Unforgiven}}'' (1992) as Little Bill Daggett
* ''Film/TheFirm'' (1993) as Avery Tolar
* ''Film/GeronimoAnAmericanLegend'' (1993) as Brig. Gen. George Cook
* ''Film/WyattEarp'' (1994) as Nicholas Earp
* ''Film/TheQuickAndTheDead'' (1995) as John Herod
* ''Film/CrimsonTide'' (1995) as Capt. Frank Ramsey
* ''Film/GetShorty'' (1995) as Harry Zimm
* ''Film/TheBirdcage'' (1996) as Senator Kevin Keeley
* ''Film/ExtremeMeasures'' (1996) as Dr. Lawrence Myrick
* ''Film/{{Absolute Power|1997}}'' (1997) as President Allen Richmond
* ''Film/EnemyOfTheState'' (1998) as Edward 'Brill' Lyle
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}'' (1998) as General Mandible (voice)
* ''Film/UnderSuspicion'' (2000) as Henry Hearst
* ''Film/{{The Replacements|2000}}'' (2000) as Jimmy [=McGinty=]
* ''Film/{{Heartbreakers}}'' (2001) as William B. Tensy
* ''Film/TheMexican'' (2001) as Arnold Margolese
* ''Film/TheRoyalTenenbaums'' (2001) as Royal Tenenbaum
* ''Film/BehindEnemyLines'' (2001) as Admiral Leslie [=McMahon=] Reigart
* ''Film/{{Heist|2001}}'' (2001) as Joe Moore
* ''Film/RunawayJury'' (2003) as Rankin Fitch
* ''Film/WelcomeToMooseport'' (2004) as Monroe Eagle Cole
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!!Tropes relating to his work:

* AntiHero: Most of his roles at the height of his career.
* ArtistDisillusionment: With his acting career in general, hence his retirement in 2004.
* AppealToTradition: Apparently as an immutable traditionalist when it comes to filmmaking and being picky of what projects he prefers doing, he is against the modernization, unconventional method acting, and the newer generation of the film industry in an ever-changing time and by 2004 was so sick of modern Hollywood that he retired.
* BigBad: A quarter of his later roles.
* ChronicallyKilledActor: Due to playing most of the above.
* CoolOldGuy: Many of his non-villainous roles.
* TheDanza: He played Eugene Claire in ''Film/DownhillRacer'' and Gene Garrison in ''I Never Sang for My Father'', but the latter was just serendipity as that was the name of the character in the original play it was adapted from (Creator/HalHolbrook played the role on Broadway).
* LargeHam: He loves ChewingTheScenery at times.
* TheOtherMarty: He was initially 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.
* ProductionPosse: He starred in several movies directed by Arthur Penn.
* RankScalesWithAsskicking: His roles tend to be TheBrigadier, the ColonelBadass, the FourStarBadass, or the MajorlyAwesome.
* SemperFi: He served in the Marine Corps before he started acting.
* StarMakingRole: Though his work in ''Film/BonnieAndClyde'' brought him to prominence (earning him his first Oscar nomination), ''Film/TheFrenchConnection'' is the true standout, as it was one that he almost didn't get (director William Friedkin had considered roughly eight other actors before finally settling on Hackman), and it ended up proving his proficiency as a leading man, which he would remain for the rest of his career. Additionally, it ''won'' him his first Oscar.

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