Gene Hackman is one of those actors who over the years have been in quite a few movies that I didn’t necessarily like. However, he always managed to make them interesting and enjoyable by his performance. He has starred in many movies there are some that you will never forget him for. Everyone will remember Gene Hackman as Lux Luther. It is not necessarily a role I would have originally cast Hackman for, but he delivers an unforgettable performance. Another role that he is highly recognized for is his performance in Hoosiers.
Uncharacteristic of the type of roles he usually does is his role in Young Frankenstein. I loved his performance in this movie. The movie is Mel Brook’s parody of the Universal Studio’s horror movies. Hackman cameos as a blind priest who befriends Frankenstein’s monster to full comic effect.
You can’t go without mentioning Gene’s starring roles as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in the French Connection movie series. Doyle seems to be Hackman’s dream character. He manages to be Popeye and you believe every minute of it. Lesser actors seem to fall into stereotypes when playing characters as seemingly clear cut as Doyle but Hackman manages to give the character depth. You would be hard pressed to name any other movie that is widely acknowledged where the sequel is as good or better than the original. This is the case with the French Connection 2 in which Hackman’s character is allowed to evolve even further.
There are other roles where you will remember him where he brought his own life sometimes seem unexpected such as his portrayal as Lux Luther in the Superman movie series. It is hard to imagine any other actor in a role as for me I would have never thought of him as a legimate candidate for the role of Lux Luther.