He then worked a number of odd jobs before finally studying journalism and television production on the G.I. Bill at the University of Illinois. By the age of thirty, Hackman decided he would try his hand at acting. He enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse where he met fellow actor Dustin Hoffman. Rumor has it the two were awarded the dubious honor of Least Likely to Succeed.
Hackman relocated to New York and worked the theater circuit. After finishing his training at the Pasadena Playhouse, Hoffman joined Hackman in his one-bedroom New York apartment. Hoffman, now one of the most celebrated actors of our time, slept on the kitchen floor.
In 1964, Hackman landed a part in the play Any Wednesday. His performance led to a bit part in the 1964 film Lilith, starring Warren Beatty. Beatty was impressed by what he saw and awarded Hackman the role of Buck Barrow in his film Bonnie and Clyde in 1967. The role earned Hackman his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Just three years later, Hackman was again nominated in this category for his role in I Never Sang for My Father. Hackman didn’t have to wait long before the honor came his way yet again. Two years later, for his portrayal of Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in The French Connection, he finally won the Oscar for Best Actor. This character remains one of his most well known and beloved roles, despite the fact that the director preferred five other actors for the role.
Hackman’s subsequent acting jobs have been numerous and varied. He’s played everything from the blind man in Mel Brook’s horror-comedy Young Frankenstein to Lex Luther in Superman, opposite Marlon Brando and Christopher Reeve. Hackman’s portrayal of Harry Caul in The Conversation in 1974 was ranked #37 on Premiere magazine’s 100 Greatest Performances of All Time. Caul’s character was supposedly based on Hackman’s uncle, a fellow Marine.
Hackman’s 1986 sports classic Hoosiers incited an entirely new genre of film—the inspirational team story. Modern takes on that theme include Denzel Washington’s Remember the Titans, Samuel L. Jackson’s Coach Carter, and Josh Lucas’ Glory Road.
In 1992, Clint Eastwood approached Hackman for the role of Little Bill Daggett in Unforgiven. Hackman initially refused, but eventually conceded and took the part. He ended up winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, along with Eastwood’s win for Best Director and Best Picture.
Hackman’s career is certainly impressive and complete, but so is the list of jobs he was offered and refused. He reportedly turned down the lead in Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind (both roles went to Richard Dreyfuss), Indiana Jones, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Network, and The Silence of the Lambs.
In Hackman’s downtime, he enjoys painting and writing fiction at his New Mexico home. Hackman has been married twice, his first marriage being to Fay Maltese. They were together for thirty years and had three children. His second marriage was to Betsy Arakawa, from 1991 to present. The two have no children together.
YUDDY
