One of Hollywood's stalwart actors experienced something of an online resurgence earlier this week. The actor was none other than Gene Hackman, who boasts a truly incredible roster of movies from his time on the silver screen.
The resurgence occurred on Twitter, particularly impressive considering that Hackman himself is not even on the platform. However, that didn't stop people sharing their love for this veteran actor.
However, earlier this week, film historian James L Neibaur took to Twitter to post a somewhat out-of-the-blue update about Gene Hackman, writing:
"Gene Hackman retired from acting 17 years ago, but had this recent pic taken to show he is alive and well at 91, and living in New Mexico. He goes bike riding every day and remains active and engaged with hobbies, and friends."
Celebrities and fans alike began to share the image of Hackman, all sharing their love for the actor as well as some sharing their favorite moments from his long and successful career.
The initial tweet has since seen a flurry of activity, having been shared over 7,000 times and receiving just under 70,000 likes.
There can be few things more unsettling than seeing one of your favorite actors trending on Twitter without having any context, especially if they are a veteran actor like Hackman.
Twitter's trending section can be something of the angel of death when you see the likes of 91-year-old legend in its midst. Fortunately, Mr. Hackman is in good health.
The actor's oeuvre spanned many decades, working from 1956 to 2004, with Welcome to Mooseport being his final film prior to his retirement.
Hackman worked in all manner of genres, having acted in crime thrillers, comedies, westerns, and so much more. Some of the most frequently mentioned moments from his career in the Twitter lovefest were his performances in the films The Royal Tenenbaums and The French Connection.
Justin Tiehen was quick to point out that it is not only acting that Hackman has turned his hand to, but that he also works as a writer — having worked on a variety of novels from 1999 up until 2013.
Screenwriter Gary Whitta also shared his love for Hackman's portrayal of the supervillain Lex Luthor, writing:
"What I love about Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor in SUPERMAN is that he plays it almost entirely as a comic performance but then at a few key moments later in the movie he drops the comedy and becomes legitimately chilling, just pure evil. It makes those moments all the more powerful."
A lot of the time we only take a time to appreciate someone's life after they have left us, so it is amazing to see so many people sharing their love for this legendary actor for no other reason than because they can!
Do you have a favorite Gene Hackman role? Let us know in the comments section if so!
h/t: Facebook
