As a kid I first discovered him in the action thriller The Poseidon Adventure (1972) all of us kids in Queens loved that movie. And when you cruise you think about that movie.

Of course once you see The French Connection, that might have been his greatest role. Also enjoyed many of his movies over the years especially his turn as a villain in Superman! He is Lex Luthor.
Others include his hilarious appearance in Young Frankenstein, Hoosiers, No Way Out, Unforgiven and Crimson Tide.

RIP Gene!

Today I lost a long lasting friendship.

Popeye, good bye old friend... and don't be picking your feet in heaven!

#GeneHackman, Billy Friedkin, Tony LoBianco, Sonny Grosso, Eddie Egan, Roy Schieder, Marcel Bozzuffi and Fernando Rey

I am the last remaining French Connection detective. It is a sad badge to wear.
During the making of the French Connection, I spent a lot of time with Gene and the rest of the guys turning them into "real" detectives. Prior to this #films, the portrayal of law enforcement in film lacked authenticity. Although I did act in the film, some of my main contributions can be found in the minute, yet profound, details.
Often times when I would see police on the big screen, what I saw was a highly caricatured version. For this film, we spent a lot of time going over standard police protocols such as how to properly "toss" a suspect, raid a bar, take finger prints and realistically hold a gun (something no prior film really got right).

Believe it or not, I'm telling you, these guys could have all passed as legitimate NYPD detectives. The making of this film showed me that the greatest actors truly are like sponges. Their ability to absorb new information, internalize it and transform into character was inspiring to witness... and Gene was one of the best.