New Photo Surfaces of 92-Year-Old Retired Hollywood Legend Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman is not working in Hollywood anymore and that’s OK because he’s looking good in this new photo. Hackman, who made his mark playing in The French Connection and Unforgiven, among many other movies, lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, these days. As you can see below, he’s 92 years old and appears to be in good health. This two-time Oscar winner is doing good and that’s great news for his many fans.

Gene Hackman 92 years old. Retired from acting and living life in Santa Fe New Mexico. A master. Looking good. pic.twitter.com/8JCk1FLarW

— Saverio Guerra (@saverio825) August 2, 2022

What are some of his fans saying? One writes, “One of the best! Happy retirement!” Another one writes, “Sorely missed on the acting scene, but God Bless in New Mexico”. There are some fans who might want to know what led Hackman to retire from the world of acting.

“The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York,” Hackman said in an interview with Empire. “The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.” After making Welcome to Mooseport, he stepped away from a very successful movie career.

Gene Hackman Came Close To Turning Down Clint Eastwood For ‘Unforgiven’

As we mentioned, one of the Hoosiers star’s movies in his acclaimed career is the Clint Eastwood film Unforgiven. Did you know that Hackman almost turned down a chance to be in the film? It’s true. In the movie, Eastwood wanted Gene Hackman to play Little Bill, a very violent character. And at this time, Hackman was more focused on his family and their desires. They did not want him to be in any more violent movies. Hackman would call up Eastwood with the intention of declining the role.

But it would be Eastwood who asked the actor to check out the script again. “I said, ‘You know, I know exactly where you’re coming from, but read it again because I think we can make a great statement against violence and killing if we do this right,’” Eastwood said in an interview. “It’s all in the execution, you gotta execute it right, or else nothing means anything. He re-read it and came back and said, ‘Yeah, okay, I’ll do this.’”

Good thing he did as Hackman won an Oscar for his role. Unforgiven writer David Webb Peoples said in an interview with the New York Daily News, “God bless Gene. He listened to Clint and together they produced something awesome. Gene was a revelation.” If you want to watch a master of the acting craft at work, then go take time out and watch Hackman do his thing. It will be worth it because he’s so good in his movies.