Summary

• Hackman's career spans from theater actor to film star, with standout performances in key roles like Bonnie and Clyde and Hoosiers.
• His work in films like The Conversation and Unforgiven showcases his range as an actor, making him a standout in the industry.
• Hackman's ability to play both complex dramatic roles and fun, memorable characters solidifies his legacy as a versatile and talented actor.

Gene Hackman has gained plenty of fame and recognition, receiving multiple awards for his roles in the best movies of his career. Beginning in the early 1960s as a theater actor, then rising through the ranks of film and television through bit parts and small roles, Hackman's breakthrough performance came in the 1964 film Lilith opposite Warren Beatty. Hackman would later co-star with him again in Bonnie and Clyde, one of Hackman and Warren Beatty's best movies. It was for Bonnie and Clyde that Hackman would receive his first nomination for an Academy Award.

While the height of his fame and most consistent work was in the 1970s, Hackman continued to work until his retirement and consistently worked on quality projects.

Though Hackman is best known for his significant dramatic roles that revolutionized the neo-noir and crime thriller genres, he wasn't afraid to take on roles that were a lot of fun. He's one of the best live-action Lex Luthor actors in Superman, and his turn as the famous villain made the character just as important as his heroic counterpart. While the height of his fame and most consistent work was in the 1970s, Hackman continued to work until his retirement and consistently worked on quality projects. He received the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes in 2003.

10 Hoosiers (1986)

As Norman Dale

Hoosiers is a solid film about a high school basketball team clawing its way to victory, but what makes it one of the best basketball movies is Hackman's performance. Hackman plays Norman, the reluctant coach who washes out of college ball and takes on the impossible challenge of making a rag-tag group of boys into a team. Though the film doesn't break new ground on the traditional tropes of a sports drama, it's worth watching, if only for Hackman. He imbues his disaffected coach with a depth that few actors could and inspired the performances of other on-screen coaches.

The popularity of movies and TV about small-town high school sports teams has become apparent with the rash of praise and interest in series like Friday Night Lights, and Hoosiers is an early example of why this type of story works. Middle America often goes overlooked in high-profile narratives, but Hoosiers works tirelessly to make its characters relatable, likable, and undeniably real. Hoosiers was always an unlikely story about a group of underdogs, as the film is an underdog itself, but it's still worth remembering.

9 The Birdcage (1996)

As Senator Kevin Keeley

Although The Birdcage is a satire at heart and isn't afraid to put its characters in hilariously uncomfortable situations, it's a tale about human understanding and unlearning prejudice.

The Birdcage is a remake of the 1978 French film La Cage aux Folles, which is based on the 1973 stage play, and though it had big shoes to fill in adapting the classic French comedy, it was a stunning success. The plot revolves around a young couple introducing their in-laws to each other for the first time, but the parents couldn't be more different. Hackman plays the buttoned-up and conservative Senator Kevin Keeley, father of Barbara (Calista Flockhart). He is the opposite of Armand (Robin Williams) and Albert (Nathan Lane), fathers to Val (Dan Futterman).

Although The Birdcage is a satire at heart and isn't afraid to put its characters in hilariously uncomfortable situations, it's a tale about human understanding and unlearning prejudice. Hackman begins the film unwilling to accept his future son-in-law's fathers, but by the end, he has grown as a person and learned to loosen up. The film has been criticized and heralded by LGBQ+ groups, but it was never meant to be taken as a blanket representation of the entire community. At the time of its 1996 release, it pushed boundaries and showed Hackman's diverse range of interests as a performer.

8 The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

As Royal Tenenbaum