It seems strange to me that Mr Hackman was around 50 years old about the time I was born. I’m guessing he started late in his acting career, but he was always there, like a fixture of the scenery.
He certainly transcended the Hollywood movie star ideal. He wasn’t particularly good looking, and he always played bastards. But he always had a twinkle in his eye, which is something I call “The Arnold Schwarzenegger Effect”. Although, by contrast, Hackman was without a doubt a skilled actor, whereas Arnold is not.
I’ve been watching The French Connection over the past few days, in which Hackman plays a delightful badass. He’s the epitome of the “antihero”, in which he is downright mean, bigoted, and rebellious to the point of being criminal, but he’s likeable. Again, he has that twinkle in his eye.
To get to my belaboured point, Gene Hackman was likeable, even when he was playing unpleasant characters. He just seemed like a nice chap. Visually speaking, he also reminds me heavily of my own father, although, it must be said, that Mr Hackman probably had a few more twigs to rub together in his brain than my father.
We have lost a true icon, even though he was ugly as hell.
Do stay in touch, darling.
Toodles!
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