By Luke Gutleber
See a young Gene Hackman in his high school yearbook photos and get to know the ‘The French Connection’ and ‘Hoosiers’ actor better.
Birthdate: January 30, 1930
Died: February 18, 2025 (aged 95)
High School: Storm Lake High School
Yearbooks: 1945
Who was Gene Hackman?
Who doesn’t remember watching Hackman in action as Popeye Doyle in ‘The French Connection’ or chuckling at his antics in ‘Scarecrow’?
Gene Hackman’s film roles spanned from dramas, where he displayed a fiery intensity, to comedies, where he lit up the screen with his light-hearted energy. Those who were around to witness Hackman in his prime surely wish they could go back and see it all again for the first time.
Gene Hackman was a legendary actor whose career spanned over four decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors to ever live. Hackman made his film debut in the drama Lilith in 1994, alongside Warren Beatty and Jean Seberg.
Early Success
Hackman began to catch the attention of moviegoers after playing the supporting role of Buck Barrow in the crime film Bonnie and Clyde(1967), for which he was nominated for his first Academy Award.
A ‘Leading Man’
Hackman earned his title as a leading man in Hollywood for his role as ruthless NYPD detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection(1971), which also earned him his first Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role. This film was the catalyst for Hackman being regularly cast in anti-hero roles, most notably as sheriff Little Bill Daggett in Unforgiven(1992).
Further Success and Retirement
Hackman continued an impressive run throughout the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, starring in several memorable and critically acclaimed films, including Scarecrow(1973), The Conversation(1974), Hoosiers(1986), and all three Superman films(1978, 1980, and 1983).
Hackman retired from acting after starring in Welcome to Mooseport in 2004 to pursue outside ventures, including novel writing and documentary narration.
Gene Hackman: Then vs. Now
Hackman was always known for his rugged individualism and powerful charisma. From the 1940s until his later years, here’s how Gene looked from his teenage years all the way to the 2020s.
Where Did Gene Hackman Go to School?
Gene’s formative years in Iowa paved the way to his legendary acting career. Learn more about a young Gene Hackman and the experiences that made him the man
High School Education
Gene Hackman attended Storm Lake High School in Storm Lake Iowa until age 16, when he decided to leave home and enlist in the United States Marine Corp, serving four and a half years as a field radio operator.
Time in the Military
As a member of the U.S. Marine Corp, Hackman was stationed in China, contributing to Operation Beleaguer, in which he and the other Marines were tasked with evacuating nearly 600,000 Japanese and Koreans from Communist China. Hackman was discharged in 1951, and moved to New York City, where he worked a variety of jobs.
College Education
After moving to California to pursue acting in 1956, Hackman moved to Illinois in 1962, and briefly attended the University of Illinois, studying journalism and television production. He left the university shortly after without graduating, and moved back to California to resume his acting career.
Who is Gene Hackman’s Family?
A Simple Yet Chaotic Childhood
Hackman was raised by his mother, Anna Lyda Elizabeth, and his father, Eugene Ezra Hackman. Hackman also had a brother named Richard. The family moved several times before eventually settling in Danville, Illinois.
Anna was an actress, painter, and pianist who also worked as a waitress to support herself and her family. Eugene Sr. operated the printing press for a local Danville newspaper, the Commercial-News. Hackman lived a fairly normal childhood, but things eventually took a turn, and when he was 13, his father divorced his mother and abandoned the family.
Married with Children
Hackman has been married twice, first to Faye Maltese in 1956, and then again to Betsy Arakawa in 1991. He has one son and two daughters with Maltese: Christopher Allen, Elizabeth Jean, and Leslie Ann. In 1986, after 30 years of marriage, Hackman and Maltese got a divorce.
During his marriage to Arakawa, the couple shared a Santa Fe, New Mexico home which gained significant publicity due to its unique architecture. The home was featured in Architectural Digest in 1990, showcasing its blend of Southwestern styles.
Hackman’s Unfortunate Passing
Tragedy in New Mexico
Gene Hackman sadly passed away at the age of 95 in his home in Sante Fe, New Mexico around February 18, 2025, due to severe heart disease complicated by both Alzheimer’s and kidney disease. Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, passed away in the home about a week prior, but Hackman failed to alert authorities due to his troubles with Alzheimer’s.
Celebrity Tribute
Many of Hackman’s close celebrity friends paid him tribute following his death, including Clint Eastwood, Francis Ford Coppola, and Morgan Freeman. The Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw described Hackman as “really a star; in fact the star of every scene he was in – that tough, wised-up, intelligent, but unhandsome face perpetually on the verge of coolly unconcerned derision, or creased in a heartbreakingly fatherly, pained smile.”
The Gene Hackman Connection
Gene Hackman spent his long acting career controlling nearly every scene he took part in, and capturing the eyes and hearts of viewers all around the world. Those growing up during Hackman’s ‘leading man’ years feel a special connection to him and his work. Nobody sold the ‘anti-hero’ role quite like Hackman, and his commanding presence in the neo-noir genre will be remembered for many years to come.
Some of Hackman’s best work includes:
- Bonnie and Clyde(1967)
- I Never Sang for My Father(1970)
- The French Connection(1971)
- The Poseidon Adventure(1972)
- Scarecrow(1973)
- The Conversation(1974)
- Night Moves(1975)
- The Superman franchise(1978-1987)
- Hoosiers(1986)
- Mississippi Burning(1988)
- Unforgiven(1992)
- The Firm(1993)
- Get Shorty(1995)
- The Birdcage(1996)
- The Royal Tenenbaums(2001)
- Runaway Jury(2003)
The Decorated Career of Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman is not only one of the most talented actors of all time, but also one of the most decorated. He has won a total of seven awards throughout his lengthy career, two of them being Academy Awards. Who could forget Hackman’s humble, yet iconic acceptance speech at the 1972 Oscars?
Hackman’s incredibly well-deserved awards he won throughout his career were:
- Academy Award for Best Actor in The French Connection(1971)
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Unforgiven(1992)
- British Academy Film Award(BAFTA) for Best Actor in a Leading Role in both The French Connection and The Poseidon Adventure(1972)
- BAFTA for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Unforgiven
- Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama in The French Connection
- Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture in Unforgiven
- Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy in The Royal Tenenbaums(2001)
Discover Your Favorite Celebrities In High School
The yearbook finder from Classmates® features 480,000+ yearbooks, which contain dozens of photos of your favorite celebrities as teenagers! Find out what Gene Hackman looked like in high school, in addition to some of your friends and family.
Surely you are dying to know what your goofy uncle looked like growing up. Get started with Classmates® now!
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Sources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Hackman
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Gene_Hackman
- Chicago Daily News, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gene_Hackman_-_1972.jpg
- Then – https://www.classmates.com/siteui/yearbooks/137921?page=32&?s=80640
- Now – Trish Overton, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GeneHackmanJun2108.jpg
- Trish Overton, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>
- Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GeneHackmanJun2108.jpg
