Gene Hackman’s 20 Greatest Performances (and Where to Watch Them)
They don’t make movie stars like they used to, but they only made a star like Gene Hackman once.
Born in 1930, Hackman served as a Marine and studied journalism in college before giving up acting, gaining recognition on Broadway and in television roles but not making his mark in films until he was 30, when he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Warren Beatty’s brother in the classic crime film Bonnie and Clyde .
It turned out to be the start of an eclectic big-screen career that would see him receive four more Oscar nominations (and two wins, for 1971’s The French Connection and 1992’s Unforgiven ). With his canine good looks and the ability to project seriousness, heroism, weakness and meanness in equal measure, he gave one memorable performance after another, always elevating the films in which he appeared.
To honor his recent death and celebrate his truly remarkable career, here are 20 of his most iconic performances.
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Bonnie and Clyde is best remembered today as the harbinger of the auteur era that changed Hollywood in the 1970s. Filled with dark humor and visceral violence, and borrowing heavily from the French New Wave, Arthur Penn’s film overcame lukewarm early reviews to become a countercultural sensation and a major awards contender. While Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway are iconic as the lead criminals, then-newcomer Gene Hackman made his mark (and received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor) by playing Clyde Barrow’s ill-fated brother Buck. You can rent Bonnie and Clyde on Prime Video.
Downhill Racer (1969)
Downhill Racer, the first in a series of memorable films in which Gene Hackman plays the coach, is a quintessential ’70s romance—a dark, heady sports drama led by one of Hollywood’s biggest stars (Robert Redford) that critic Roger Ebert called “the best movie ever made about sports, even though it’s not really about sports at all.” Redford takes center stage as a brash, egocentric cross-country skiing champion, but it’s Hackman who steals the film as a team-oriented coach hoping to lead his athletes to Olympic gold. You can stream Downhill Racer for free with ads on Pluto TV or rent it on Prime Video .
French Connection (1971)
Watching The French Connection today, we recognize a certain formula: big-budget, well-choreographed shootouts, chases and car crashes that lend gravitas to a complex and troubled character, usually a cop. But it only became a formula because so many other films tried to copy what director William Friedkin achieved here with Hackman in the lead role. All the action is topped by his performance as anti-hero Popeye Doyle, which earned him an Oscar for Best Actor. You can rent The French Connection from Prime Video.
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
Poseidon sticks firmly to the style of ’70s disaster movies, with an all-star cast facing doom and soapy drama, this time on a capsized cruise ship. These actors were always a mix of older, more familiar faces and relatively younger stars, of which the famous Hackman was the representative. These films aren’t really about acting, but this one wasn’t perceived as a dumb action movie: it received several Academy Award nominations and earned Hackman a BAFTA Award for Best Actor, the only award given for two performances in two very different films. The first was his performance as the heartfelt Reverend Frank Scott in that film and as Popeye Doyle in The French Connection . Back in 1972, it was clear that Hackman had range. You can stream The Poseidon Adventure on Starz or rent it on Prime Video .
Scarecrow (1973)
A little-known entry in the filmography of Hackman and co-star Al Pacino, this character drama deserves attention. Hackman plays a drifter and ex-con who dates a simple-minded sailor (Pacino). The couple set off across the country with plans to open a business together, but along the way they got into trouble and ended up in prison – and had an experience that would have a profound impact on their lives. Although it won top honors at the Cannes Film Festival, it’s not talked about much these days, which is too bad—it’s not often you get to enjoy Hackman and Pacino playing off each other. You can rent Scarecrow from Prime Video.
Conversation (1974)
Francis Ford Coppola’s film did not achieve much business success upon its initial release, but critics and years have been extremely favorable to the film, which is no small feat considering that much of its plot relies on 1970s-era technology. The film’s themes about the dangers of the surveillance state and the ambivalence about our need to know everything about everyone are more relevant now than ever. Hackman plays another iconic character in Harry Caul, brilliant at his job but also the most deeply secretive and haunted man. His performance here is simply one of the best in an era filled with brilliant performances. You can stream The Conversation on The Criterion Channel or rent it on Prime Video .
Night Moves (1975)
An absolutely essential neo-noir, Hackman plays retired footballer Harry Moseby, now a private investigator whose personal life is crumbling around him. As with other noir films before it, the plot thread becomes increasingly convoluted and dense, building towards a spectacularly unexpected ending, but Harry remains the glue that holds it all together. Even as a depressed and gloomy character, with whom in real life you would not want to spend even five minutes, he attracts attention. You can rent Night Moves on Prime Video.
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Although it received mixed reviews at the time, the war film A Bridge Too Far became a box office hit and is today considered the kind of epic adult drama that Hollywood rarely makes anymore. Written by William Goldman, it depicts a doomed military operation in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands in 1944. Hackman is part of a cast that includes James Caan, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Elliot Gould, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Ryan O’Neal and Robert Redford. You can stream A Bridge Too Far on MGM+ or rent it on Prime Video.
Superman (1978)
For at least a generation, Hackman was the perfect Lex Luthor in the perfect superhero movie. Director Richard Donner promised a level of verisimilitude in his super saga, which was presented by Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. Hackman, however, is the third point in this triangle, alternately providing comic relief and a sense of real menace – even with a full head of hair. Today’s movie supervillains are all about conquering the universe, which seems like a distraction from this movie’s more real and present threat: a ruthless real estate tycoon willing to watch millions die for a few extra dollars. You can stream Superman on Max or rent it from Prime Video .
Hoosiers (1986)
The 1986 drama, a box office hit and considered one of the most inspirational sports films ever made, gave Hackman one of his most beloved roles. He plays Norman Dale, a teacher at a poor high school in rural Indiana who leads a team of misfits to glory on the court. Although Hackman was overlooked, Dennis Hopper won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the town drunk who finds new purpose while working as Dale’s assistant coach. You can rent Hoosiers on Prime Video. Starting February 28, you’ll also be able to stream it for free on Prime Video With Ads.
No Exit (1987)
Simultaneously smart and trashy, No Exit pays homage to past film noirs while sticking more firmly into erotic thriller territory—not much of a leap. Hackman plays Secretary of Defense David Brice here, a role that in many other films is just window dressing. Here, however, Hackman has a great time playing Bryce as an absolutely disgusting businessman – duplicitous, murderous and sharing a mistress (Sean Young) with lead Kevin Costner. It’s not Hackman’s best performance, but it’s certainly one of his best. You can stream No Way Out ad-supported on Pluto TV or rent it from Prime Video.
Mississippi on Fire (1988)
While his politics don’t seem all that progressive 37 years later, there’s no arguing that Gene Hackman commands the screen in this racially charged crime thriller set against the backdrop of the 1960s civil rights movement and inspired by true events. Hackman and Willem Dafoe play FBI agents investigating the murders of three civil rights activists in a southern city friendly with the KKK. Hackman was nominated for Best Actor for his performance as a kindly former sheriff turned federal agent who knows all too well how racism and prejudice operate in the city and is willing to break the rules to bring killers to justice. You can stream Mississippi Burning for free with ads on Pluto TV, watch it on Prime Video , or rent it on Apple TV .
Unforgiven (1992)
Unforgiven was seen as a tribute to Clint Eastwood, but the only acting Oscar went to Hackman. He plays Sheriff Little Bill Daggett, whose aversion to vigilantism puts him at odds with Eastwood’s William Munny, who has come to town to avenge the deformity of a sex worker. Munny may be the center of the film, but Little Bill provides all the conflict and suggests a later-career return to the complex, morally gray character types of his early days. You can stream or rent Unforgiven on Prime Video.
The Quick and the Dead (1995)
Everyone says Unforgiven is a revisionist Western, but it feels downright traditional next to Sam Raimi’s deliberately over-the-top take on the genre. Hackman plays John Herod, the ruthless and endlessly greedy ruler of the Old West town of Redemption. Herod hosts a round-robin competition of champions in the city, in which shooters must fight for money, win, surrender, or die. It’s not a subtle or insightful performance, but a delightfully incongruous one. Even playing the very recognizable Gene Hackman type, the actor was still very interesting to watch. You can stream The Quick and the Dead on Hulu or rent it on Prime Video.
Crimson Tide (1995)
Although sometimes cited as a throwback to The Hunt for Red October , this submarine thriller is impressively clever, pitting Hackman’s veteran submarine commander against Denzel Washington as his first officer, both conflicted over the interpretation of an order to launch missiles, the outcome of which could have devastating consequences. You don’t necessarily come to see a Tony Scott action film for the acting, but the film is a real showcase for the leads and a fascinating juxtaposition of two brilliant actors from different generations. You can rent Crimson Tide on Prime Video.
Get Shorty (1995)
Gene Hackman’s range spanned all types of characters, but he rarely seemed to have more fun than playing mean ball – which he does with gusto in this satire of mid-’90s Hollywood excess, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld from the novel by Elmore Leonard. He plays a B-movie director who’s in debt to the mafia, which gets in his way when he gets involved with a movie-obsessed loan shark (John Travolta) in an attempt to get out of his jam. Unsurprisingly, things are not going smoothly. You can stream Get Shorty for free with ads on the Roku Channel or rent it from Prime Video.
Birdcage (1996)
An undisputed crowd favorite, The Birdcage sees Hackman as a thoroughly conservative senator (in stark contrast to the actor’s real-life politics) who heads to South Beach to meet the VERY GAY family of his daughter’s fiancée. It’s a fun villain-esque role for Hackman, in which he is memorably seen in full costume in the final act. You can rent The Birdcage from Prime Video.
Enemy of the State (1998)
This surveillance state thriller isn’t nearly as smart as its 1970s motifs, but it’s thoroughly entertaining in the way it approaches many of the same themes in a richer style. Opposite Will Smith, Hackman plays Brill Lyle, a paranoid surveillance expert who has so much in common with The Conversation ‘s Harry Caul that you might think of Enemy of the State as a blockbuster based on an earlier film. You can rent Enemy of the State from Prime Video.
Heist (2001)
The same year that Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven racked up box office success on the backs of (nearly) a dozen of Hollywood’s hottest stars, David Mamet built his own crime caper around a gang of aging thieves. Hackman plays the leader of a gang of professional robbers whose face is captured on surveillance cameras while on the job, forcing him to flee and incurring the wrath of his partners in the “business.” Hackman handles Mamet’s snippets of dialogue with practiced ease, elevating what Roger Ebert called “the kind of caper film that was made before special effects replaced wit, constructiveness and intelligence.” You can rent “The Heist” from Prime Video.
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Although he starred in a few more films before retiring in 2004, Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums was Hackman’s last great performance and one of his best. He’s hateful and compelling in equal parts as the deeply flawed patriarch of a deeply neurotic, Salinger-inspired New York family who gathers his ex-wife (Anjelica Huston) and deeply resentful children (played by Luke Wilson, Ben Stiller and Gwyneth Paltrow) to tell them he has only weeks to live. You can rent The Royal Tenenbaums on Prime Video.