Trivia

While at the Pasadena Playhouse, Hackman and a classmate were voted "Least likely to succeed". The classmate was Dustin Hoffman.

Le Maître du jeu (2003) was the first time he and former roommate Dustin Hoffman performed on the screen together.

Was the first choice to play Dr. Hannibal Lecter in Le silence des agneaux (1991).

He was initially reluctant to take the role of Lex Luthor in Superman (1978) as he didn't want to shave off a mustache that he had recently grown. Richard Donner made a deal with him that if he shaved it off, Donner would shave off his as well. After Hackman did so, Donner revealed that the mustache he was wearing was a fake. This made Hackman instantly respect and like Donner immensely.

Announces his retirement from acting at the age of 78. (April 2008)

Was admitted into the famed Pasadena Playhouse on the G.I. Bill. He failed out of it after 3 months and moved to New York to continue being a stage actor. Received one of the lowest grades the school had ever given (1.3 out of 10). He headed to New York with the intention of proving them wrong.

The actor rarely mentioned anything about his personal life whilst being interviewed.

When asked about friendship in an interview, Robert Duvall replied: "A friend is someone who, many years ago, offered you his last $300 when you broke your pelvis. A friend is Gene Hackman.".

As a young man, Hackman attended a showing of the movie Un tramway nommé désir (1951) and was impressed by the performance of Marlon Brando due to his naturalism and the fact that he didn't look like what a movie star typically looked like in the 1950s. After exiting the theater, he told his father that he wanted to be an actor.

One of the most sustaining actors of all time, he still averaged two films a year in his 70s, having starred in six in 2001 alone. This all changed however in 2004, when he last acted in Bienvenue à Mooseport (2004). He has not appeared in anything since.

Turned down the lead roles in Les Dents de la mer (1975), Rencontres du troisième type (1977), and Les Aventuriers de l'arche perdue (1981).

Has stated that his performance in L'épouvantail (1973) is his personal favorite.

Has never forgotten the day when his father walked out on the family. Hackman was about 14 years old at the time.

Both Hackman and his former roommate, Dustin Hoffman, had their big breaks in 1967, Hackman in Bonnie et Clyde (1967) and Hoffman in Le lauréat (1967).

7/7/04: Appeared on Larry King Live (1985). Larry King was surprised to find out that Hackman had no movies lined up, and Hackman replied by saying that he thinks it is the end of his career.

Dustin Hoffman came to New York after finishing his training at the Pasadena Playhouse. The two of them roomed together in New York at Hackman's one-bedroom apartment on 2nd Ave. & 26th St. Hoffman slept on the kitchen floor. Originally, Hackman had offered to let him stay a few nights, but Hoffman would not leave. Hackman had to take him out to look for his own apartment.

Hackman has said that the failure of L'épouvantail (1973) turned him off of art films due to the disappointment of working hard on a film that was critically acclaimed, but that tanked at the box office and failed to garner any awards. After this flop, Hackman mainly concentrated on acting for money, turning down such films as Vol au-dessus d'un nid de coucou (1975) and Network : Main basse sur la TV (1976) for roles in films like Il était une fois... la légion (1977) and Les aventuriers du Lucky Lady (1975) that offered him fatter paychecks.

2001: Was involved in a road-rage incident when two young men attacked him for hitting their car in Hollywood.

He lied about his age to join the Marines at 16, but left as soon as his initial tour was complete.

Developed a bit of a reputation for being a "no-nonsense" person on a film set, particularly with directors.

Did not start acting until he was 25.

Dustin Hoffman asked for the part of Rankin Fitch in Le Maître du jeu (2003), which had gone to Hackman. Hoffman admits to asking, "Can't you get rid of Gene and give me the part?".

As roommates, Dustin Hoffman and Hackman would often go to the apartment rooftop and play the drums. Hoffman played the bongo drums while Hackman played the conga drums. They did it out of their love for Marlon Brando, who, they had heard, played music in clubs. They wanted to be like Brando and were big fans of his.

One of four multiple acting Oscar winners whose wins are all in Best Picture Oscar winners (the others being Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman and Mahershala Ali). Two of Jack Nicholson's three acting Oscars are in Best Picture winners.

Along with Margot Kidder, Hackman was appalled at the way Alexander Salkind and Ilya Salkind, the producers of the first three Superman films and 1984's Supergirl (1984) film, had treated director Richard Donner, who had directed the first Superman (1978) and most of the second Superman film back-to-back before he was fired by the Salkinds over creative differences. Hackman, who said he only did the first two movies because of Donner's persuasion, was so angry with the Salkinds that he vehemently refused to reprise the role of Lex Luthor in Superman III (1983), while Margot Kidder, who played Lois Lane, only appeared in a cameo role. Hackman was later persuaded to reprise the Luthor role in Superman IV (1987).

1990: Underwent successful angioplasty surgery after nearly suffering a severe heart attack.

After he played Little Bill in Impitoyable (1992), Hackman vowed not to appear in any more violent films. After he had been in violent films dating back to Bonnie et Clyde (1967) and French Connection (1971) (in a role refused by Peter Boyle for the same reasons), he said he was fed up with them.

Says watching his own films makes him terribly nervous.

After flunking out of the Pasadena Playhouse and moving to New York City with fellow drop-out Dustin Hoffman, Hackman worked at the Howard Johnson's restaurant in Times Square as a doorman. One day, a Pasadena Playhouse acting teacher whom Hackman hated walked by him, stopped, and told him that he had been right, that Hackman would never amount to anything.

Is one of only a few actors to win an Oscar for a supporting role after winning an Oscar for a leading role. (Others to do so are Jack Nicholson, Maggie Smith and Helen Hayes).

While a struggling actor in New York City, he worked as a soda jerk in a pharmacy and as a furniture mover. But told Time Magazine in 2011 that "worst job I ever had" was working nights at the legendary Chrysler Building--as part of a crew that polished the leather furniture.

Kevin Costner considers him as the best actor he has worked with.

He was the sixth choice to play Popeye Doyle in French Connection (1971).

As a child, he had to spend much time looking after his grandmother, while his parents were at work.

Jailed as a teen (c. 1946) for stealing candy and soda pop from a candy store.

Appeared on Richard Nixon's infamous "List of Enemies" during the 1972 presidential election, the only time Hackman was publicly involved in politics. During an interview on Larry King Live (1985) in July 2004, Hackman stated that although he is a Democrat, he liked President Ronald Reagan, who had died the previous month.

In the Superman movies, he didn't like the idea of going bald for his role as Lex Luthor. He was allowed to wear wigs instead, and was convinced to wear a bald cap in only a few scenes.

During the filming of "The Hunting Party," Candice Bergen credited Gene Hackman for teaching her about film acting.

He did his role in the film Reds for nothing.

Even though he is no longer a cigarette smoker, Hackman played the role of a chain-smoker in Beautés empoisonnées! (2001). He was using a special kind of cigarette that only produces heavy smoke without requiring any inhaling. Tragically, in 1962, Hackman's mother Lydia died of injuries incurred from a fire caused by her own smoking.

In contrast with his on-screen image of tough guy and reactionary, in real life Hackman is said to be an extremely gentle, shy person who holds very progressive political views.

Dislikes anything regarding stardom.

Around the time of turning down the role of Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs," Gene Hackman decided to focus on movies that weren't so graphic in terms of violence.

Has a passion for cars and painting.

Released his novel, a violent Western, "Payback at Morning Peak" in June, 2011.

In a 2004 Vanity Fair story on him, Dustin Hoffman, and Robert Duvall, Hackman said one of the worst memories of being a struggling actor, was working as a doorman in New York City. He recalled having seen former Marine officers pass him by when opening the door for them, of which one had said "Hackman, you're a sorry son of a bitch.".

Based his role, in Conversation secrète (1974), on one of his uncles and a fellow Marine he had known well. He characterized the Marine as someone "who probably became a serial killer".

Revealed on Actors Studio (1994) that two of the most important factors in deciding on which films he will work on are the script and the money.

He has appeared in seven films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Bonnie et Clyde (1967), French Connection (1971), Conversation secrète (1974), Frankenstein junior (1974), Superman (1978), Le grand défi (1986) and Impitoyable (1992).

Has appeared in three films adapted from novels by John Grisham: La firme (1993), L'héritage de la haine (1996) and Le Maître du jeu (2003).