6 Things You Never Knew About Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman, born on Jan. 30, 1930, is one of those Hollywood legends who seems larger than life. And though he retired from acting in 2004, Hackman has kept busy as a novelist, writing several books. In a rare 2009 interview, he revealed that a stress test was the deciding factor in his retirement, as doctors warned him that his heart wasn’t in the kind of shape needed to handle the pressure of a film career.
Despite briefly considering returning to acting in 2011, he has remained fully retired, only lending his voice to a couple of documentaries. Now 95, Hackman is reportedly in good health and enjoying a quiet life in New Mexico. While most people know him for his iconic roles in The French Connection and Unforgiven, here are six things you may not have known about the legendary Gene Hackman, including his humble beginnings.
1 He flunked out of acting school

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While attending the Pasadena Playhouse, he and his classmate Dustin Hoffman were actually voted “Least Likely to Succeed.” After flunking out of the program, Hackman moved to New York City to pursue his dream. He worked odd jobs, including a stint as a doorman at Howard Johnson’s in Times Square. One day, an acting teacher from Pasadena Playhouse walked by, recognized him and smugly told him he had been right … Hackman would never amount to anything. Little did that teacher know, Hackman was about to prove him very, very wrong.
2 He was friends with Dick Van Dyke in high school

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You may not think of Danville, Illinois, as the birthplace of some of the most famous stars in Hollywood, but Danville High School was home to stars such as Hackman and Dick Van Dyke. Van Dyke’s core group of friends were Bob Walker, Jerry C. Wright, Harold Brown and Bob Hackman. Occasionally, the group would let Bob’s little cousin Gene hang out with them, who, of course, turned out to be the talented Gene Hackman.
3 He and Dustin Hoffman were roommates

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Before they became household names, Hackman and Hoffman were just two struggling actors trying to make it in New York. Both had dropped out of Pasadena Playhouse and were hustling to land roles while working side jobs to pay rent. Hackman worked as a soda jerk, a furniture mover and even spent nights polishing leather furniture at the Chrysler Building, a job he later called the worst one he ever had. Despite their deep history, it wasn’t until 2003’s Runaway Jury that the former roommates finally shared the screen together for the first time.
4 A movie changed his life

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Like many actors of his generation, Hackman was deeply influenced by Marlon Brando. As a young man, he attended a screening of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) and was completely captivated by Brando’s performance. What struck Hackman the most was how real Brando seemed. Hackman left the theater that day and told his father he wanted to be an actor. That moment set him on a path that would eventually lead to a decades-long career in Hollywood.
5 He has a favorite performance … and it’s not what you’d expect

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Over the years, Hackman has played some truly unforgettable characters, and his performances have earned him two Academy Awards and widespread acclaim. But if you ask Hackman which role meant the most to him, he’ll tell you it was in Scarecrow (1973), a film where he starred alongside Al Pacino. The movie wasn’t a box office hit, but Hackman has said it’s his personal favorite performance.
6 He smoked onscreen after quitting in real life

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Hackman was once a smoker, but he gave up the habit long before taking on the role of a chain-smoking con artist in Heartbreakers (2001). Since he no longer smoked in real life, the production team provided him with special cigarettes that produced heavy smoke without requiring him to inhale. Smoking also had a tragic connection to Hackman’s past, as his mother, Lydia, died in 1962 from injuries caused by a fire that started due to her own smoking. Even though he could no longer tolerate real cigarettes, Hackman’s commitment to authenticity in his roles remained strong.