He came to acting in his late twenties, studying at the Pasadena Playhouse. He and his room-mate Dustin Hoffman were voted joint "Least Likely to Succeed". (Ironic, then, that Hackman lost out on the ...

He, of course, became famous onscreen as Gene Hackman, one of the most acclaimed actors of all time. He retired from acting ...

Eugene Allen 'Gene' Hackman (born January 30 ... include I Never Sang for My Father (1970); his role as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in The French Connection (1971) and its sequel French Connection ...

"The French Connection" is based on Robin Moore's 1969 book of the same name. Both films tell the story of NYPD detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, in pursuit of french heroin smugglers.

Gene Hackman was never going to be a dreamboat ... The first was Best Actor in 1972 for the role of rage-fuelled, racist cop 'Popeye' Doyle in The French Connection (1971). This gritty 70s crime ...