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Few actors have a career in the film industry that is as decorated as Gene Hackman’s. Having worked as an actor for over six decades, he has been a part of some of the finest films to have ever been released, and he has been awarded fruitfully for his work. From Oscars to Golden Globes, Gene Hackman has got them all.
Since the first one is always more special than the rest, his first win at the Academy Awards came with the 1972 filmThe French Connection,though he had been nominated twice before. While the film should hold a special place in his heart, it quickly became one of his biggest regrets, thanks to the fact that it ended up typecasting him in Hollywood.
Why Gene Hackman Might Regret‘The French Connection’
Directed byWilliam Friedkin,The French Connectionis a neo-noir action thriller starringGene Hackmanas an NYPD detective on the lookout for a French heroin smuggler. It is considered to be one of the greatest films ever made and was a part of the American Film Institute’s Best American Films list both in 1998 and 2007.
It was nominated for eight Oscars and ended up winning five out of those, including one for Best Actor for Gene Hackman. Clearly, the team did something right with the film!
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Despite the film’s success, Hackman might consider it to be a regret. Why? Well, given the fact that it was an action film and was the one that made him the star he is today, Hackman ended up being typecast as the action/drama hero.
In an interview withFilm Comment, Hackman stated,
I have a terrible need to excel at this thing I’ve chosen to do, and I keep wanting further challenges. Unfortunately, in film one is cast so close to type, and I keep getting offered similar roles. But within that context I try to find a way to do something a little different.
The success ofThe French Connectionand Hackman’s subsequent typecasting meant that it would become difficult for the actor to explore other genres, something which he wanted to do more often.
Gene Hackman Wanted to Do More Comedy and Romance Films
AfterThe French Connection,Hackman went on to be a part of many action/drama films, includingPrime Cut, Night Moves, Uncommon Valor,and more. He also reprised his role of Detective Jimmy Doyle inFrench Connection II.
While he has a filmography unlike any other, Hackman later came to regret not doing more comedy and romance roles. He once stated that he loved playing Lex Luthor inSupermanandSuperman IIbecause of the“comic villainy”he got to do in it. He had similar thoughts aboutYoung Frankenstein.
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In an interview withFort Worth Star-Telegram, Hackman said,
I would hardly say I regret having done ‘The French Connection.’ But I have regretted not letting more of my career go toward comedy, or toward romantic portrayals. I loved the ‘Superman’ assignments, on account of the comic villainy I was allowed to do there, and the spoofing good humor in ‘Young Frankenstein,’ and the idea of myself as a romantic leading man — well, let’s just say ‘Twice in a Lifetime’ was a very real pleasure.
Well, at least he got to end his acting career onWelcome to Mooseportin 2004, a political satire comedy, even though the film was quite underwhelming.
While Hackman may regret some things in his career, he cannot deny the fact thatThe French Connectionhelped him boost his graph to unimaginable heights. If it wasn’t for this film that put him on the filmmakers’ radars, he would probably never have gotten his second Oscar which was forClint Eastwood’sUnforgiven(1992) where he played the role ofvillain“Little Bill” Daggett, a violentand brutal sheriff.
StreamThe French Connectionon Max.
Mishkaat Khan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2258
A connoisseur of all things horror, fantasy, and the occasional chick flick, Mishkaat has been penning pieces for FandomWire since 2022. She started off as an intern and has worked her way up to a Senior Writer with over 2000 articles to her name.Outside of entertainment, she has also written well-researched medical content as a freelance writer and has experience in social media management.When not writing, you can find her relaxing with a romance novel and a tall glass of iced coffee in her hand or watching re-runs of ‘Supernatural’ and ‘The Office.’
