One of the first major film stars to break out in the 1970s, Gene Hackman was the epitome of New Hollywood. An actor with livewire intensity, he had a grit and brusqueness that few others could ever match,

Gene Hackman, the actor whose turns in classics like “The French Connection" and “Unforgiven” made him one of the most respected actors in Hollywood, died.

There was never a movie star quite like Gene Hackman, who died at the age of 95 on February 27, 2025. Hackman's stardom was a miracle of the New Hollywood, a moment when audiences were hungry for actors who more closely resembled themselves,