An Acting Giant

Actor/author Gene Hackman has passed at 95. This masterful, character performer over six decades, emerged from TV's Golden Age amid fellow actors Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall, and after numerous small roles, made a significant mark in the classic, Bonnie and Clyde. He followed with many high profile, prestigious films including his Oscar winning lead in The French Connection, Mississippi Burning, and his other Oscar winning support in Unforgiven. He made blockbuster films like The Poseidon Adventure and A Bridge Too Far, and displayed his comic abilities in Young Frankenstein and Superman. He did memorable films like Hoosiers The Conversation, Uncommon Valor, and I Never Sang for My Father. He worked with major stars and new directors in more recent films like Get Shorty, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, and The Royal Tenenbaums. Truly an acting giant.