Where to Stream Gene Hackman’s Most Iconic Movies
Actor Gene Hackman has died at age 95. The star of films such as The Royal Tenenbaums and The Poseidon Adventure was discovered deceased at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Feb. 26, along with his wife, musician Betsy Arakawa, 63, and one of their dogs.
Hackman’s decades-long career began in the late 1950s, when he started studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse alongside Dustin Hoffman. He landed small parts in various TV shows before breaking out with roles in movies such as Bonnie & Clyde, The French Connection, and The Conversation in the late 1960s and 1970s. He worked steadily throughout the 1980s and 1970s, appearing in acclaimed films like Mississippi Burning and box office hits like The Birdcage and Crimson Tide. Hackman retired from acting in the early 2000s.
Narrowing Hackman’s long and varied career down to a list of just a handful of films is nearly impossible. But if you want to revisit some of his work, here’s a list of some of his most iconic and essential movies and where to stream them.
‘The French Connection’
Hackman won the first of his two Oscars in 1972 for his role in The French Connection. He played Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, a New York City cop on the hunt for a heroin smuggler in William Friedkin’s gritty crime thriller.
The French Connection is streaming Prime Video through Feb. 28.
‘The Conversation’
In 1974, Hackman was nominated for a BAFTA for playing surveillance expert Harry Caul in Francis Ford Coppola’s paranoid Watergate-era conspiracy thriller The Conversation. After being hired to record a conversation between a couple, Harry struggles with guilt when he suspects the couple might be the target of a murder plot.
The Conversation is streaming on Criterion Channel.
‘Superman’
Hackman went full villain mode in 1978’s Superman, where he played the title character’s nemesis, evil businessman Lex Luthor. He returned for two of the film’s three sequels: Superman II and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
Superman is streaming on Max.
‘Hoosiers’
In Hoosiers, Hackman delivered a standout performance as small-town high school basketball coach Norman Dale, who leads his underdog team to the Indiana state championship. The movie is frequently cited as one of the best sports dramas of all time.
Hoosiers is available to rent or buy on various streaming platforms.
‘Mississippi Burning’
Hackman earned his fourth Oscar nomination for 1989’s Mississippi Burning. He and co-star Willem Dafoe played FBI agents assigned to investigate the disappearance of three civil rights workers in Mississippi in 1964.
Mississippi Burning is streaming for free on Hoopla, Freevee, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel.
‘Unforgiven’
Hackman earned his second Oscar – in the best supporting actor category – for his role as corrupt Sheriff “Little Bill” Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 neo-Western Unforgiven. Years later, in an interview with IndieWire, Eastwood praised Hackman’s performance as “so perfect right out of the box on every shot, every sequence, and he really didn’t have to do anything different—he was amazing.”
Unforgiven is streaming on Prime Video. through Feb. 28. It is also available to rent or buy on various streaming platforms.
‘The Birdcage’
Hackman played the straight man – literally – in 1996’s ensemble comedy The Birdcage. His character is a right-wing senator named Kevin Keeley whose daughter is engaged to the son of Armand Goldman (Robin Williams), a gay drag club owner who lives in Miami’s South Beach. When Keeley and his wife come to Miami to meet their soon-to-be in-laws, Armand reluctantly agrees to pose as heterosexual in an attempt to avoid a scandal.
The Birdcage is streaming on Prime Video and through Feb. 28 on Max.
‘The Royal Tenenbaums’
One of Hackman’s last film roles was in Wes Anderson’s 2001 comedy-drama The Royal Tenenbaums. He played Royal Tenenbaum, an eccentric father and habitual liar who is attempting to reconcile with his three estranged adult children after learning his ex-wife plans to remarry.
The Royal Tenenbaums is available to rent or buy on Prime Video, Apple TV, and other streaming platforms.
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