The late Gene Hackman ushered in a new era of leading men and the movies they starred in.
Legendary actor Gene Hackman haspassed away at the age of 95.
The great Gene Hackman is gone.
Of course, its been quite a while since weve seen Gene Hackman grace a screen of any size.
It was an unlikely ending to an acting career that began just as strangely.
Famously, Hackman and his Pasadena Playhouse classmate Dustin Hoffman wereonce votedby their classmates as Least Likely to Succeed.
In alater interview, Hackman explained that he and Hoffman were labeled character actors, at best.
Neither Dustin nor myself looked like the leading men of that era, Hackman said.
Stars are rarely born in their late 30s from such a coarse cocoon.
Anything more than that surely seemed out of reach.
And so he did.
Yet, even that special time for films produced few leading men like Gene Hackman.
He doesnt need to be larger than life when he makes life so fascinating.
You could certainly argue Hackman is the most underrated comedic actor ever.
He could be wacky inYoung Frankensteinor sleazy and scheming inGet Shortywithout compromising his raw presence.
