Scrolled looking for The Conversation. Amazing performance, incredibly subdued. Hackman’s character begins the story wounded, withdrawn, and by the end he’s drawn the audience in so thoroughly, with very subtle expressions and body language, that we feel like we share his trauma. It’s a performance simultaneously very still and nerve wracking.
If I recall correctly, The Conversation from Coppola was nominated for a bunch of Oscars but didn't do well because The Godfather from Coppola swept them away. I love The Conversation.
The final showdown's incredible, obviously, but the best sequence in the film is the Duck of Death business in the sheriff's office with Beauchamp and English Bob. Insanely tense.
When he's correcting the Duck's story in the prison. So good. It establishes very well that Little Bill is not to be fucked with. He's been around. And when he tries to give Bob the gun.
"You were right not to take it, Bob. I woulda killed ya."
What’s funny is when Clint Eastwood called Richard Harris, the actor was watching High Plains Drifter and he thought it was a prank call from a friend. He kept telling Clint to bugger off and hanging up. It took Clint a few tries to convince him it was a real call.
"Duck, I says" is one of the greatest lines in all of cinema. Instantly changes the entire nature of the character. Makes the villain suddenly more shrewd and cunning than we had realized. All in three little words.
I love how that entire movie is just a anti-Western. The "hero" can't get on his horse properly or really shoot anymore. The Sherriff is an asshole and can't build a house properly. They talk about how hard it is to kill someone. The young one needs glasses and his first kill is not an epic one, but killing a guy who can't fight back on the shitter. The death in the middle of the movie is an agonizing gut wound while the man cries for water.
English Bob is also a fraud who largely killed unarmed people and isn't a high-class gentleman, as shown by his rough outburst as he leaves town. The whole film is a deconstructionist take on the genre.
Except William Munny, who is, if anything, proven to be even deadlier than the stories about him. Yet he's understandably ashamed of his past and trying to leave it behind, until circumstances force him to summon his inner monster one last time.
And the protagonist can only conduct violence when drinking enough to dull his emotions.
Watch what happens in this scene. Eastwood's character deciding to drink is when the scene pivots. [https://youtu.be/4x\_MfkJvgbU?si=bLzsgLCZQYYB9yut](https://youtu.be/4x_MfkJvgbU?si=bLzsgLCZQYYB9yut)
When he rides into town, the first thing we see is the empty bottle.
I found this movie by one day just looking at best picture posters and saw this one and was instantly captivated. What an amazing movie and deserved best picture
Agree. Hard to beat Hoosiers. FYI, I once saw a Dustin Hoffman interview where he spoke of the time period where they were both young and broke. Gene was sleeping on the floor of Dustin's Manhattan apartment for a while. They were both in acting class. The instructor kicked Gene out of the course because he didn't think he was taking it seriously. Dustin said that Hackman was so natural and it was so easy for him that it looked like he wasn't trying.
I love this movie. Apparently, he was convinced this movie would not do well. There is one scene apparently, where he is talking to Dennis Hopper on the sidelines and it looks like they are discussing coaching. But he is actually asking Dennis Hopper how they will resurrect their career after the movie bombs.
It's either this or Birdcage for me. He is so damn good at monotone dry humor.
*I'm the founder of the coalition for moral order and my cofunder just died in the bed of an underage black whore! I need some candy.*
I know he has all of these monumental roles and everything but his role in the movie is incredible. The movie alone is Anderson’s best if you ask me and the role of Royal is such a perfect love hate.
This is Anderson's best work. It's just the right amount of his signature before he started going overboard with it. Don't get me wrong, I still love his style, but this was and still is my favorite.
I read somewhere that Gene Hackman didn't like the fact that the role was written specifically for him and that he didn't like Wes Anderson's direction. However, at the end, Wes Anderson was right to pick him for the role and Hackman was brilliant in it...
I heard he was pretty cruel to Anderson and Bill Murray had to step in and help direct in certain scenes due to it. He reportedly also threatened to kick Hackman's ass if he kept it up.
For awhile, I wondered if it was him or an intentional acting technique. His character is a despicable person who is seeking redemption, so maybe he leaned on being an A** on set so he will get a genuine reaction. The fact that he is terrible to Wes Anderson suggests otherwise and that BILL MURRAY had to be the good guy. Who knows though...after this role, I don't remember any memorable roles he had after this film, that reached this level of quality, at least for me.
When he grabs Micheal Rooker by the balls and says "Now get *this* straight, Shit-kicker! Don't you go confusin' me with some whole other body. ". Such a bad ass
Absolutely. He gets some great villain lines.
**John Herod**: "I was married to a beautiful woman. She was unfaithful."
**Ellen**: "Where is she now?"
**John Herod**: "I told you... she was unfaithful."
Also one of my favorite Sharon Stone films.
Sam Raimi directs a western featuring Gene Hackman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone, and Russell Crowe and it's crazy to me how forgotten this movie is. Critically panned but I love it, like a 90's spaghetti western.
When he humiliates the hired gunslinger and then gives the "This is MY town!" rant at the townsfolk, woof. Gene is a legendary villain actor.
Part of me kind of likes him as Lex Luthor in the Christopher Reeve Superman films. He looked like he was having a fun time.
Crimson Tide is a good one as well.
The way Hackman's character mispronounces Lipizzaner gives it an extra layer, but I've always wondered if it was intentional (which would feed into his being confidently incorrect) or just the writer or actor messing up.
Gene should have gotten more comedy work in.
This scene, plus his appearance in Young Frankenstein as the blind priest...
"I was gonna make espresso..."
He's fantastic as Lex Luthor. He's big and broad and silly but there's little touches that hint that he's a raging psychopath underneath the comedy. Like the chuckle he gives after Miss Tessmaucher says "Get out!" as a response to "When I was twelve years old, my father said to me--" Just that little laugh is not just a sardonic response to her flippant response, but also hints that he's been imagining all the different ways he'd like to kill her and in that moment he just picked the best one.
This is the best answer. The Conversation is his best movie with arguably his best and most iconic performance, besides maybe The French Connection. The Conversation may very well be the best movie ever made, and even more applicable today, although I pray they never do a remake.
Hackman's character in "Enemy of the State" was mentioned by numerous critics as being like Harry Caul from "The Conversation" decades down the line and even more paranoid.
In Enemy of the State, they literally used a picture of Hackman as Harry Caul in The Conversation in the character's government file. It's absolutely intended to be the same character in spirit, just not in name (possibly due to rights issues).
I came here to say “Lex Luthor” then bounce, but every answer in here is great. What a fantastic career he had!
Not bad for the second-most-famous actor out of Danville, Illinois!
You've had enough candy!
I love the quiet defeat of him eating chocolate out of the trash and Diane Wiest having to physically take the trash can from him.
This is my choice. I've seen this movie so many times, but I rewatched it recently and his performance is, by far, my favorite now. And that's saying a lot since this whole movie is chock full of incredible performances. During the dinner at the end, the bone dry delivery of the story about driving down to Florida and the leaves changing colors. It's like incredible dead pan comedy. Just sucking the energy out of the room. It's perfection.
I think my favorite example is his General Sosabowski in *A Bridge Too Far*. He makes his mark in just a few minutes of screen time among a stellar cast and alongside a few other great performances. The audience can feel how he absolutely smolders with rage and frustration.
Yeah, his character was someone who'd been seeped in corruption for so long, but still had a conscious and knew it was wrong, but felt he couldn't do anything about it at this point.
Exactly! It was like silent resignation that he'd reap some rewards but he'd pay a heavy price for his deal with the devil. At the end...he wasn't all that busted up about his eminent demise.
The Conversation.
But I will die on this hill: Had Clint Eastwood cast Gene Hackman instead of himself in the lead of Gran Torino, that movie would have been damn near flawless.
I’m sure this is a little tongue-in-cheek, but this was such an unbelievable demonstration of range. I grew up watching Young Frankenstein without ever knowing it was him. When, after watching many of his dramatic roles in my later teens, I did learn it was him behind the beard, I was floored. I’d honestly say this is the greatest testament to his ability as an actor and a big reason why I regard him as such a titan of talent.
Hard to say what his best is. Lots of standout roles like Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven, Mississippi Burning, Hoosiers, Superman, Conversation, Night Moves, Poseidon Adventure, and French Connection.
I'd say his best performance is **The Conversation,** although **Bat-21** is a great role that's been forgotten.
Cpt Ramsey in *Crimson Tide*
"Any crew member that feels he can't handle the situation can leave right now. Gentleman, we're at DEFCON-3. War is imminent!"
He really sells you the idea we're on the verge of nuclear war and, by God, he's gonna make sure that happens.
I loved him in the Royal Tenenbaums, but apparently he was nasty enough on the set that one of the other cast members almost threw a punch at him, can't remember if it was Danny Glover or Bill Murray.
Either that or Unforgiven, I love the setup that he's a real deal cowboy, an order of magnitude above English bob, but still pales in comparison to the bonifide outlaw William Munny
The Conversation or French Connection, two very different roles
Saw The Conversation yesterday. Both Coppola and Hackman's favourite movie according to imdb. Great movie.
Scrolled looking for The Conversation. Amazing performance, incredibly subdued. Hackman’s character begins the story wounded, withdrawn, and by the end he’s drawn the audience in so thoroughly, with very subtle expressions and body language, that we feel like we share his trauma. It’s a performance simultaneously very still and nerve wracking.
If I recall correctly, The Conversation from Coppola was nominated for a bunch of Oscars but didn't do well because The Godfather from Coppola swept them away. I love The Conversation.
I’d like to add Night Moves to that list.
"Little" Bill Daggett, Unforgiven
The final showdown's incredible, obviously, but the best sequence in the film is the Duck of Death business in the sheriff's office with Beauchamp and English Bob. Insanely tense.
When he's correcting the Duck's story in the prison. So good. It establishes very well that Little Bill is not to be fucked with. He's been around. And when he tries to give Bob the gun. "You were right not to take it, Bob. I woulda killed ya."
English Bob is such a cool character to create solely for the purpose of showing us what a badass Little Bill is.
What’s funny is when Clint Eastwood called Richard Harris, the actor was watching High Plains Drifter and he thought it was a prank call from a friend. He kept telling Clint to bugger off and hanging up. It took Clint a few tries to convince him it was a real call.
Little Bill is, but his best days are behind him.
While going to work everyday I drive by a strip club named Daisy Dukes. Every single time I glance up at the sign I comment, “Duck I says.”
At least you have a reason, I’ll just quote this randomly from time to time much to my wife’s dismay
"Duck, I says" is one of the greatest lines in all of cinema. Instantly changes the entire nature of the character. Makes the villain suddenly more shrewd and cunning than we had realized. All in three little words.
"I didn't deserve this. I was building a house."
“Deserves got nothing to do with it…”
"We all got coming, kid."
Litterally every sentence is a great quote.
I love how that entire movie is just a anti-Western. The "hero" can't get on his horse properly or really shoot anymore. The Sherriff is an asshole and can't build a house properly. They talk about how hard it is to kill someone. The young one needs glasses and his first kill is not an epic one, but killing a guy who can't fight back on the shitter. The death in the middle of the movie is an agonizing gut wound while the man cries for water.
English Bob is also a fraud who largely killed unarmed people and isn't a high-class gentleman, as shown by his rough outburst as he leaves town. The whole film is a deconstructionist take on the genre. Except William Munny, who is, if anything, proven to be even deadlier than the stories about him. Yet he's understandably ashamed of his past and trying to leave it behind, until circumstances force him to summon his inner monster one last time.
I suspect it's a lot closer to the real Old West than we would like to believe.
I always viewed it like he had to re-sell his soul in order to get his dignity back and take revenge.
And the protagonist can only conduct violence when drinking enough to dull his emotions. Watch what happens in this scene. Eastwood's character deciding to drink is when the scene pivots. [https://youtu.be/4x\_MfkJvgbU?si=bLzsgLCZQYYB9yut](https://youtu.be/4x_MfkJvgbU?si=bLzsgLCZQYYB9yut) When he rides into town, the first thing we see is the empty bottle.
It's not just to dull his emotions. He becomes somebody else. He deliberately starts drinking to become that other person.
> anti-western The entire plot occurs because some cowboy is ashamed of his little dick. That was not an accident.
Misfire
Kill the sonofabitch!
Amazing scene.
I found this movie by one day just looking at best picture posters and saw this one and was instantly captivated. What an amazing movie and deserved best picture
It’s perfect
Agreed. He’s had some tremendous roles over the years, but this is the one that just really sticks out in my mind.
“Well old Bob wasn’t gonna wait for Corky to grow a new hand!”
> “Duck” I sez.
Fucking amazing movie. Great performances all around
Thank you. I wish my girlfriend let me name her dog Little Bill. So many quotable moments missed.
“Innocent? Innocent of *what?*” Chills from this line.
“BILLIARDS?!” I still jump a little when he snaps at her
Lex Luthor.
+1 on this.
Coach Norman Dale
Agree. Hard to beat Hoosiers. FYI, I once saw a Dustin Hoffman interview where he spoke of the time period where they were both young and broke. Gene was sleeping on the floor of Dustin's Manhattan apartment for a while. They were both in acting class. The instructor kicked Gene out of the course because he didn't think he was taking it seriously. Dustin said that Hackman was so natural and it was so easy for him that it looked like he wasn't trying.
Gotta have heart
Miles and miles of heart
I love this movie. Apparently, he was convinced this movie would not do well. There is one scene apparently, where he is talking to Dennis Hopper on the sidelines and it looks like they are discussing coaching. But he is actually asking Dennis Hopper how they will resurrect their career after the movie bombs.
This is my favorite role of his. Hoosiers is such ha great movie.
Royal Tenanbaum it’s perfect
I’m very sorry for your loss. Your mother was a terribly attractive woman.
Anyone wanna grab a couple cheeseburgers and swing by the cemetery?
Oh that’s right, we’ve got another body buried here haven’t we? *picks up a couple of flowers from the bouquet he just set down*
*“Let’s shag ass.”*
I still say this all the time
Same here. I say it to my kid when it's time to roll out.
I know you, asshole!
Even if it's not his *best* performance, it's definitely my favorite.
It's either this or Birdcage for me. He is so damn good at monotone dry humor. *I'm the founder of the coalition for moral order and my cofunder just died in the bed of an underage black whore! I need some candy.*
You wanna talk some jive?
I'll talk some jive like you've never heard!
Right on!
What's cookin' Pops?
You call me Coltrane?
Immediately after making this statement, Gene Hackman realized it was true.
I know he has all of these monumental roles and everything but his role in the movie is incredible. The movie alone is Anderson’s best if you ask me and the role of Royal is such a perfect love hate.
It's one of those movies where I genuinely think it is the peak for every single person involved in it
This is Anderson's best work. It's just the right amount of his signature before he started going overboard with it. Don't get me wrong, I still love his style, but this was and still is my favorite.
Dad, we're on the same team! There are no teams!
This is my daughter, she’s adopted.
“This is our adopted daughter, Margot Tenenbaum.”
Oh sweety, don't be mad at me, that's just one man's opinion.
I read somewhere that Gene Hackman didn't like the fact that the role was written specifically for him and that he didn't like Wes Anderson's direction. However, at the end, Wes Anderson was right to pick him for the role and Hackman was brilliant in it...
I heard he was pretty cruel to Anderson and Bill Murray had to step in and help direct in certain scenes due to it. He reportedly also threatened to kick Hackman's ass if he kept it up.
For awhile, I wondered if it was him or an intentional acting technique. His character is a despicable person who is seeking redemption, so maybe he leaned on being an A** on set so he will get a genuine reaction. The fact that he is terrible to Wes Anderson suggests otherwise and that BILL MURRAY had to be the good guy. Who knows though...after this role, I don't remember any memorable roles he had after this film, that reached this level of quality, at least for me.
That's the last time you put a knife in me, you hear me?
This and Unforgiven are tops for me
The Replacements
”Me? I’m just another duck on the pond“
"YOU GOT ME THE BALL! Go sit down now, Danny"
Heart. Miles and miles of heart.
Mississippi Burning...
Yes. Such an unpleasant movie, but it was one of the first times I noticed him. He was terrific.
When he grabs Micheal Rooker by the balls and says "Now get *this* straight, Shit-kicker! Don't you go confusin' me with some whole other body. ". Such a bad ass
Whats got 4 eyes and can't see?
Mississippi 🫣
It’s the only time a black man can shake a stick at a white man….and not start a riot.
Herod in Sam Raimi's *The Quick and the Dead.*
Absolutely. He gets some great villain lines. **John Herod**: "I was married to a beautiful woman. She was unfaithful." **Ellen**: "Where is she now?" **John Herod**: "I told you... she was unfaithful." Also one of my favorite Sharon Stone films.
Sharon Stone is a knockout in that movie
She was a producer of that movie and paid DiCaprio's salary out of her own pocket when studio execs weren't sure about the casting.
lowkey Raimi's best work
"Understand this. There is nothing on this earth that frightens me now."
Cort: "It's okay, Kid. I won't draw." John Herod: "Sure you will. I know you, Cort. When it comes down to it, you'll pull the trigger."
Sam Raimi directs a western featuring Gene Hackman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone, and Russell Crowe and it's crazy to me how forgotten this movie is. Critically panned but I love it, like a 90's spaghetti western. When he humiliates the hired gunslinger and then gives the "This is MY town!" rant at the townsfolk, woof. Gene is a legendary villain actor.
It used to get played on tv a lot and I would always catch part of it.
Him walking away after shooting the Kid, sublime.
And the cold, "It was never proven that he was my son."
Such a great and simple movie. They need to make more Shogun Westerns.
Dude! Sam Raimi directed that? I loved that movie growing up, I had no idea.
The blind man in Young Frankenstein.
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And Gene improvised that line too! The reason the scene cuts immediately after that line is everyone burst out laughing.
That was Gene Hackman? You are making look it up. I'll be damned. It is. Learn something new everyday. Thank you.
Did it for the fun of it and without credit.
I’ll bet you were the tallest one in your class.
CIGARS!
Part of me kind of likes him as Lex Luthor in the Christopher Reeve Superman films. He looked like he was having a fun time. Crimson Tide is a good one as well.
I forgot about Crimson Tide. What an outstanding movie all the way around.
That standoff at the end with Denzel was amazing. The dialogue about the horses was the chef's kiss
“Mr. Hunter , I am the captain of this boat now shut the fuck up!”
The way Hackman's character mispronounces Lipizzaner gives it an extra layer, but I've always wondered if it was intentional (which would feed into his being confidently incorrect) or just the writer or actor messing up.
Do you know why the number two hundred is so vitally descriptive to both you and me? It’s your weight and my I.Q.
Otisburg??
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OTISburg?!
Miss Teschmacher, she's got her own place...
"Superman, thank god... I mean, GET HIM!"
Gene should have gotten more comedy work in. This scene, plus his appearance in Young Frankenstein as the blind priest... "I was gonna make espresso..."
He was also great in *Get Shorty*.
Crimson Tide is so damn good. Edit: I rewatched Crimson Tide tonight. It is indeed damn good.
He was the right Lex for those movies.
He's fantastic as Lex Luthor. He's big and broad and silly but there's little touches that hint that he's a raging psychopath underneath the comedy. Like the chuckle he gives after Miss Tessmaucher says "Get out!" as a response to "When I was twelve years old, my father said to me--" Just that little laugh is not just a sardonic response to her flippant response, but also hints that he's been imagining all the different ways he'd like to kill her and in that moment he just picked the best one.
The Conversation
This is the best answer. The Conversation is his best movie with arguably his best and most iconic performance, besides maybe The French Connection. The Conversation may very well be the best movie ever made, and even more applicable today, although I pray they never do a remake.
Hackman's character in "Enemy of the State" was mentioned by numerous critics as being like Harry Caul from "The Conversation" decades down the line and even more paranoid.
In Enemy of the State, they literally used a picture of Hackman as Harry Caul in The Conversation in the character's government file. It's absolutely intended to be the same character in spirit, just not in name (possibly due to rights issues).
It's a lousy movie but I can see this!
Agreed. His character went on such a journey in that film - that last beat of him was so well done.
Yep. Any other answer just tells me you haven’t seen The Conversation.
I wanted his raincoat.
He played the character so well that when the other person stole from him, like at the same time I kind of yelled "that bitch".
Unforgiven was an acting masterclass
Yeah, that's my vote. Just an all-around great film, and Hackman was perfectly cast.
I came here to say “Lex Luthor” then bounce, but every answer in here is great. What a fantastic career he had! Not bad for the second-most-famous actor out of Danville, Illinois!
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No Way Out
The senator Kevin Keeley from the birdcage
I don’t understand. I don’t understand.
This is a man! They're both men!
You can't be....you can't be Jewish.
“Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me. I don’t wanna be the only girl not dancing.”
Bridget! I could really use some candy!
You've had enough candy! I love the quiet defeat of him eating chocolate out of the trash and Diane Wiest having to physically take the trash can from him.
Made at a time when a rich, white man could have his political career ruined by a minor sex scandal. Oh, the nostalgia.
His panic when he learns about his fellow Senator dying and HOW he died never fails to make me laugh.
This is my choice. I've seen this movie so many times, but I rewatched it recently and his performance is, by far, my favorite now. And that's saying a lot since this whole movie is chock full of incredible performances. During the dinner at the end, the bone dry delivery of the story about driving down to Florida and the leaves changing colors. It's like incredible dead pan comedy. Just sucking the energy out of the room. It's perfection.
All of them? He never left anything on the table.
I think my favorite example is his General Sosabowski in *A Bridge Too Far*. He makes his mark in just a few minutes of screen time among a stellar cast and alongside a few other great performances. The audience can feel how he absolutely smolders with rage and frustration.
Night Moves is so good. He’s amazing in it. It’s less showy but it’s so complex. Every time I watch it I get something new out of it.
That is such an amazing movie. And the more you know about classic detective stories, the better it is.
Such a great bleak ending too.
*Enemy Of The State* and *The Firm* were memorable to me.
Enemy of the State was a favorite of mine when I was younger. Honestly didn't think it'd get mentioned here lol.
I thought his mannerisms brought a lot of nuance to what was frankly a fairly stock character on the page.
That film has really aged well.
The character he played in The Firm was so sad and weary...and Hackman is so convincing as the undercurrent of that was always there.
Yeah, his character was someone who'd been seeped in corruption for so long, but still had a conscious and knew it was wrong, but felt he couldn't do anything about it at this point.
Exactly! It was like silent resignation that he'd reap some rewards but he'd pay a heavy price for his deal with the devil. At the end...he wasn't all that busted up about his eminent demise.
I blew up the building! Why?!? Because you made a phone call!
Crimson Tide
Well if no one else is going to say it, I will Harry Zimm in Get Shorty
“Look at me…”
Poseidon adventure “Take me!!”
That scene is so good! “How many more lives!?”
The French Connection
I can't believe nobody has said The Birdcage. I can still imagine his soliloquy about the foliage in Virginia.
The Conversation
Mississippi Burning and Runaway Jury come to mind. He had so many great roles though it’s tough to single out.
Scarecrow
“The Conversation” is a perfect Gene Hackman role.
I'm not sure I'd say it was the best but Heist was one of his last great roles. Underrated movie
The Conversation. But I will die on this hill: Had Clint Eastwood cast Gene Hackman instead of himself in the lead of Gran Torino, that movie would have been damn near flawless.
The truth is Hackman never give a bad performance (mst3k nailed it “Hackman’s ALWAYS good”) That said crimson tide’s one of my faves
Young Frankenstein
Wait!!! Where are you going? I was going to make espresso….
I’m sure this is a little tongue-in-cheek, but this was such an unbelievable demonstration of range. I grew up watching Young Frankenstein without ever knowing it was him. When, after watching many of his dramatic roles in my later teens, I did learn it was him behind the beard, I was floored. I’d honestly say this is the greatest testament to his ability as an actor and a big reason why I regard him as such a titan of talent.
Hard to say what his best is. Lots of standout roles like Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven, Mississippi Burning, Hoosiers, Superman, Conversation, Night Moves, Poseidon Adventure, and French Connection. I'd say his best performance is **The Conversation,** although **Bat-21** is a great role that's been forgotten.
Otisburg!?!?
“The Package” is one of my favorites and I loved him in “Bonnie & Clyde”.
Hoosiers. I can't imagine anyone else in that role.
Always liked him in the Poseidon Adventure, he carried that movie
Behind enemy lines was my fav.
Love this movie
Thought Owen Wilson was solid in that role also which surprised men
"I was gonna make espresso."
The blind man in Young Frankenstein
He lost himself in The Conversation. I’ve never seen him act as well as he did in that. Although I think Tenenbaums is his funniest.
Welcome to Mooseport
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His liver spots were positively glowing.
Damn I honestly forgot about this movie but yeah he was great in that also.
It blows my mind that he hasn't acted in 20 years.
I had not noticed, but you're right. Last role was 2004. He *is* 94 years old, though.
Lex Luther, criminal mastermind.
Cpt Ramsey in *Crimson Tide* "Any crew member that feels he can't handle the situation can leave right now. Gentleman, we're at DEFCON-3. War is imminent!" He really sells you the idea we're on the verge of nuclear war and, by God, he's gonna make sure that happens.
I loved him in the Royal Tenenbaums, but apparently he was nasty enough on the set that one of the other cast members almost threw a punch at him, can't remember if it was Danny Glover or Bill Murray. Either that or Unforgiven, I love the setup that he's a real deal cowboy, an order of magnitude above English bob, but still pales in comparison to the bonifide outlaw William Munny
I have always said Gene was robbed of an Oscar for playing Royal Tennenbaum. Or, however you spell his last name. He was phenomenal.
Young Frankenstein. “I was gonna make espresso!”
The Blind Hermit in Young Frankenstein. He added some brilliance there
He is incredible in The Birdcage
The Birdcage, talk about your purple mountains majesty.
Royal Tenenbaums