Great actor. Thinking about his roles. His characters he played leaned (at first) to the 'Hothead type' (The French Connection' (1971), Hoosiers 1986))
I can't think of any newer movies that have the hothead type...it has sort of been written out of Hollywood.
It is safe to say that if Mr. Hackman was born 50-60 years later (he is 90) that his acting career would have not been nearly as successful?
I dunno... while I certainly understand what you mean, Hackman was also tender and low-key in many of his roles. One of the greatest actors ever.
There are still hothead types around today - Ben Foster seems to fit the bill, to name one.
I don't think you could make movie like 'The French Connection' today. A tough guy cop ruffing up African Americans in NYC would not go over well with test audiences.
The Popeye Doyle character would have been toned down, or scenes edited out. The movie (if made) would have been lamer.
Without this key movie, Hackman's career would have been much different.
I haven't seen any Ben Foster movies, thanks for the info, I will check them out.
I'd say Jason Statham.
shareKind of... different though because he is a kick ass action type of hot head, one who keeps his cool but once action starts ...like dynamite.
I was thinking about drama hotheads.
Rudeboymurray's suggestion of Ben Foster, I feel, is a bit of a misnomer. He's not really a hothead type like Gene Hackman. He's more of a low-key psychotic character, as seen in Hostage, Contraband and 3:10 to Yuma.
I have to agree with you that I don't think there is a current-day equivalent to Gene Hackman in the drama scene. Most straight white males have been given the backseat to POCkers, and tough, no-nonsense males (especially of the lighter hue variety) have been pretty much axed from movies altogether.
The closest might be Stephan Lang or Josh Brolin, but even then Lang was sort of cut-off from pursuing more of those kind of roles after Avatar, and Brolin's tough-guy bravado was side-lined in Deadpool 2 to make way for more comedy.
There are definitely some French actors who fit the bill, though, such as Gérard Lanvin, Vincent Lindon, Albert Dupontel, and occasionally Jean Reno, depending on the role. There's also a really good Dutch actor who fits the bill, Jacob Lohmann. Watch him in the 2020 film Enforcement, and you'll definitely see shades of the hotheaded characters Hackman used to play.
A very enlightening reply.
shareSean Penn?
shareAnd therein lies the stupidity of the modern age -- Popeye Doyle roughing up the black guy was an indictment of the way police treated black people. Audiences at the time knew it. You're correct that today they would call it "racist," completely oblivious to the fact that the scene itself is calling out racism. We are witnessing the dumbest era in American history. What's worse is the braindead twerps who police everything for "sensitivity" actually believe they're "educated." Nothing resembling education is taking place today. It is depressing how the American intellect has completely flatlined.
shareI agree he's one of the best actors.
shareWell there was Poe in the Star Wars sequels, but he got called on being a hothead instead of being free rein like the traditional action hero.
But Hacknan was hardly limited to playing hothead, two of his best roles were as the dangerously introverted protagonist of "The Conversation", and the calculating Lex Lu t how in the Superman movies. Wonderful actor, Hackman could do anything you could ask an actor to do - comedy, drama, play it big, play something very delicate, action heroes, nerds... anything.
Agreed, also liked him in The Firm (1994)
But he is a big physical presence. If denied his role as Popeye Doyle, I don't know how his career would have panned out.
I agree. His talent was something else. He made even shit like the quick and the dead be worth watching for his performance alone.
Would Jon Bernthal and Frank Grillo fit your “hothead” question?