Profile of the Day: Gene Hackman

Posted January 30, 2024 by Amanda | No Comment

Happy birthday to Gene Hackman! Today the star turns 94.

Image: Gene Hackman / Christopher Michael Little, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Eugene Allen Hackman was born on January 30, 1930 in San Bernardino, California to Eugene Hackman and Anna Lyda Elizabeth Gray. At the age of 16, he left home to join the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a field radio operator.

In 1956, he began to pursue an acting career and joined the Pasadena Playhouse in California. It was there that he first became good friends with fellow aspiring actors, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall. Hackman was voted “Least Likely to Succeed” by his classmates.

Hackman was 37 when he landed his breakthrough role in the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. His performance earned him his first Academy Award nomination. Over the course of his long and versatile career, Hackman has earned five Academy Award nominations, winning twice. Did you know Hackman is also an author? In addition to his acting career, Hackman has successfully penned several historical fiction novels.

What’s your favorite film?

Explore Gene Hackman’s family tree on Geni and discover how you’re related to the star.