Gene Hackman quickly gained critical recognition and Academy Award nominations for his roles in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), I Never Sang for My Father (1970), and The French Connection (1971). Hackman demonstrated considerable range, from the mousy surveillance expert involved in a murder in The Conversation (1974) to the delightfully overplayed Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie (1978). Playing an inspirational basketball coach in Hoosiers (1986) revived his career from a slight slump. In the 1990s, Hackman found considerable success playing psychologically complex antagonists in movies such as Unforgiven (1992), Crimson Tide (1995), and Extreme Measures (1996). Even when he plays the villain, Hackman retains an amiable integrity that makes his performances compelling.

Further Reading:

Hunter, Allan. Gene Hackman. New York, St. Martin's Press, 1987.

Munn, Michael. Gene Hackman. London, Robert Hale & Co., 1997.