'America's Actor: Gene Hackman' Airs Sunday on Newsmax

Beyond the mystery surrounding his recent death, Gene Hackman will no doubt go down as one of America’s greatest screen legends.

Known for his roles in iconic films ranging from “The French Connection” in 1971 to “Hoosiers” in 1986 and “Behind Enemy Lines” in 2001, Hackman authentically conquered a plethora of complex roles over his four-decade acting career.

The characters he played as well as his life off screen will be featured in the exclusive Newsmax TV special “America’s Actor: Gene Hackman” produced by Rodney Lee Conover and narrated by George Flowers. The documentary will Sunday at 4 p.m. and again at 9 p.m. ET.

     When to Watch:
       4pm & 9 p.m ET 'America's Actor: Gene Hackman'
       Sunday on Newsmax – Find It Here

Known as one of the best classic modern actors, it was Hackman’s ability to embody both the hero and anti-hero with such authenticity in any role he tackled that defined his acting prowess.

It didn’t matter whether he was playing a corrupt legal mentor to actor Tom Cruise in Sydney Pollak’s “The Firm,” the narcotics detective “Popeye” Doyle in William Friedkin’s crime thriller “The French Connection” or tough love coach in director David Anspaugh’s “Hoosiers,” Hackman found the core of each character he portrayed and embodied that. With unmatched versatility, the character actor played roles crossing many genres, including drama, action and comedy.

Among his over 70 film portrayals include roles in 1973’s “Scarecrow,” 1978’s “Superman: The Movie” and two of its sequels and 1996’s “The Birdcage.” His last role was in 2004’s “Welcome to Mooseport.”

Perhaps best described as a consummate everyman, Hackman believed good acting was found with an honest and “against all odds” mentality, which he knew from his own life.

He won two Academy Awards, one as best actor in “The French Connection” and another for best supporting actor in “The Unforgiven.” He also won two British Academy Film Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and one Screen Actors Guild Award.

It was on Feb. 26 that Hackman, 95, was found dead along with his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, a classical pianist, in their home outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The cause of their deaths is still under investigation.