[HN Gopher] Gene Hackman has died
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       Gene Hackman has died
        
       Author : romaniitedomum
       Score  : 140 points
       Date   : 2025-02-27 08:46 UTC (14 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.nytimes.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.nytimes.com)
        
       | 2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote:
       | Rest in peace. Three deaths (counting the dog) and no foul play.
       | Carbon monoxide?
        
         | Am4TIfIsER0ppos wrote:
         | CO poisoning during cold still weather is not uncommon in
         | old/poor houses heated by gas or oil here in western Europe.
         | What is the weather like in, I assume California, now?
        
           | echelon_musk wrote:
           | > I assume California
           | 
           | TFA states they lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
        
             | Am4TIfIsER0ppos wrote:
             | My mistake. I read Santa Fe elsewhere without the state
             | attached and must have skimmed over it here.
        
           | canucker2016 wrote:
           | The house is in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
           | 
           | https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/816924/inside-gene-
           | hackm...
           | 
           | Santa Fe weather seems to be daytime high around 10C,
           | nighttime low around 0C, maybe a few degrees below 0C these
           | days.
        
           | reginald78 wrote:
           | Seems odd it is still fairly common, don't most people have
           | detectors at this point?
        
             | 2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote:
             | Yes but people forget to check them. A new threat could be
             | cheapo detectors from Amazon. I bought a house recently and
             | the fire marshall had them replace all their Amazon crap
             | detectors with the real deal.
        
               | alabastervlog wrote:
               | Shitty detectors; people simply forget to check on them
               | or don't bother to install one in the first place or
               | don't even know they should have one; expired detectors
               | that don't work anymore but also don't alert that they're
               | non-functional. Plus, older people tend to get worse at
               | maintaining out-of-the-way stuff like that, more
               | forgetful, harder to get around, may visit entire
               | sections of their house (like a basement) almost never so
               | just forget about it or don't notice signs that something
               | needs to be replaced or repaired.
               | 
               | Check on your parents' smoke and CO detectors next time
               | you visit!
        
             | Am4TIfIsER0ppos wrote:
             | No.
        
             | rcleveng wrote:
             | And even if they do have them, they degrade over time and
             | only last around 10 years tops. It's quite possible that
             | the ones they had failed, and failed silently. Such as
             | loss.
        
           | gosub100 wrote:
           | Also people who warm up in idling cars, in semi confined
           | spaces,on nights with no breeze. I've seen a couple local
           | news stories of this. It's very sad.
        
         | bitwize wrote:
         | That's what I thought of. "Weird Al" Yankovic's parents were
         | both found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning about 15 years
         | back in a very similar fashion.
        
           | canucker2016 wrote:
           | Former tennis pro, Vitas Gerulaitis, died from carbon
           | monoxide poisoning from a faulty propane heater.
           | 
           | https://www.atptour.com/en/players/vitas-gerulaitis/g008/bio
        
         | dehrmann wrote:
         | I bought my parents a few CO detectors for Christmas a few
         | years ago. I reminded them that they don't have any gas
         | appliances, but they do heat with wood.
        
       | MrBuddyCasino wrote:
       | Drop your favourite Hackman movies!
       | 
       | Heres mine:
       | 
       | --= The Conversation (1979) =--
       | 
       | "Schizo surveillance guy gets a contract that starts to derail
       | things" is the basic premise, but there is more going on - "it
       | has layers".
       | 
       | Francis Ford Coppola filmed this in between Godfather I & II. I
       | believe it is less famous only because the target audience is
       | smaller, not due to its quality.
       | 
       | The editing is perfect, the pacing just right and the acting
       | mostly top notch. Gene Hackman absolutely nails it.
       | 
       | I found the whole thing to be mesmerising and gripping until the
       | very end. Underrated masterpiece.
       | 
       | May he rest in peace.
        
         | kunwon1 wrote:
         | Heist (2001) - Directed by David Mamet
         | 
         | It's not very well known or particularly well reviewed. It just
         | clicked with me, I've watched it probably a dozen times. It's
         | about a jewel heist and the drama surrounding it
        
           | captainmisery wrote:
           | Yes! Heist is my favorite as well.
        
           | gilleain wrote:
           | That was one of the first ones I thought of as well. Not sure
           | why but the line "I can't be worrying about every little
           | thing!" stuck in my mind.
        
           | IanCal wrote:
           | I _love_ heist. Truly excellent film. It 's been a while
           | since I've seen it so I'll have to dig it out again.
        
           | sandebert wrote:
           | I love Heist. One quote that is etched into my brain, from
           | Danny DeVito:
           | 
           | "Everybody needs money. That's why they call it MONEY!"
        
           | laidoffamazon wrote:
           | I liked Heist and especially liked the cast (Delroy Lindo and
           | DeVito are excellent in everything I've seen them in as well)
           | - but there's something up with Mamets direction and
           | cinematography that makes the movies look way cheaper and
           | older than they are. Never understood it, not in Spartan or
           | the Spanish Prisoner (another underrated film IMO) or Heist.
        
           | MollyRealized wrote:
           | This is perhaps the most random and stupid comment in this
           | thread, but I always hear Lou Costello going "HEY
           | MAMETTTTTTTTTT!!!!!" in my head when I see his name. (Yes, I
           | know he's saying 'Abbott'.)
        
         | taude wrote:
         | I won't say favorite, but who can forget his Lex Luthor in the
         | original Superman!
         | 
         | Won't a favorite, but I recently watched Enemy of the State
         | again, and was surprised by how much it held up over time, 27
         | or 28 years laster.
        
           | ryandrake wrote:
           | _Enemy of the State_ was a documentary. Prove me wrong!
        
           | bitwize wrote:
           | There are a number of military surveillance technologies like
           | GORGON STARE that got their start when some military brass
           | saw _Enemy of the State_ and said  "I want that capability.
           | Can we have that?"
        
         | Lio wrote:
         | I'd go with Unforgiven (1992).
         | 
         | He was perfect as the sherif. One of those morally ambiguous
         | characters, that you warm to but know is really a bad guy (much
         | like the Clint Eastwood's lead character).
         | 
         | (...to be honest it's a tough call between Popeye Doyle or
         | Royal Tenenbaum too).
        
           | booleanbetrayal wrote:
           | I second this. "Little Bill" was portrayed in such a way,
           | that as a viewer, you are pulled between rationalizing and
           | condemning his actions. Fantastic movie with superb acting on
           | Hackman's (and truly, every other actor's) part.
        
         | jhallenworld wrote:
         | Never mind the story, the audio equipment was awesome :-)
         | 
         | https://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=vintage&m=224226
        
         | kieselguhr_kid wrote:
         | The Conversation is probably my favorite as well, but I always
         | enjoyed Enemy of the State (1998) a lot. It has the same
         | paranoid vibes as some of his work in the 70s, but with the
         | subtlety replaced with sensational action. He was great in that
         | film as a retired super spook, and his chemistry with Will
         | Smith really elevated it.
        
         | xnx wrote:
         | The Royal Tenenbaums:
         | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5Hbs0s6_sQ
        
           | khy wrote:
           | Just came across this, which I enjoyed:
           | https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/wes-anderson-difficulty-
           | working...
        
         | locallost wrote:
         | French Connection, talk about nailing the role of a cop
         | obsessed with getting his suspect. Even the sequel is not bad.
         | Mississippi Burning, Hoosiers...
         | 
         | Didn't watch that one, seems interesting so I will check it
         | out, thanks.
        
           | UnreachableCode wrote:
           | The contrast between the police eating hotdogs out in the
           | cold while the gangsters wine and dine in the most expensive
           | restaurant is the most memorable scene to me. I still need to
           | watch the sequel.
        
           | MrBuddyCasino wrote:
           | The only contender for top spot, besides The Conversation.
        
           | defaultcompany wrote:
           | "Were you picking your feet in Poughkeepsie!?"
        
         | TeaBrain wrote:
         | This is my favorite of the films I've seen him in also. It is
         | surprising how rarely the film gets brought up, considering its
         | quality and it having been written and directed by Coppola.
        
         | computershit wrote:
         | Hoosiers, for sure. "My team is on the floor" was such a flex
         | as a coach, it is still difficult for me to separate the man he
         | played in that movie and the actor, to me they're one and the
         | same.
        
         | AlexandrB wrote:
         | The Royal Tenenbaums
         | 
         | "Asshole dad reconciles with his estranged children."
         | 
         | Probably my favourite Wes Anderson film with an extremely
         | talented cast. Gene Hackman does a great job of playing a well-
         | meaning buy very flawed father figure.
        
           | Lio wrote:
           | _" Oh no, that's just dog's blood"_
        
           | mrcwinn wrote:
           | "Dad, you were never dying." "But I'm going to live!"
           | 
           | I've heard he was just wretched to deal with on set and
           | didn't really connect with the movie (at least at the time)
           | -- but wow what a performance regardless. That movie isn't
           | what it is without him. You could say that for many of his
           | films.
        
         | thisismytest wrote:
         | Enemy of the State
        
           | xhkkffbf wrote:
           | It is quite good on its own. And it's a bit ironic given "The
           | Conversation".
           | 
           | But it's up against some great competition in this debate.
        
         | echelon_musk wrote:
         | The Conversation at 50: Why the paranoid thriller is more
         | relevant than ever
         | 
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43194188
        
         | Arn_Thor wrote:
         | Night Moves is essential neo-noir
        
           | isleyaardvark wrote:
           | He's so good in it, and its treatment of masculinity was
           | interesting.
           | 
           | Best read after seeing it:
           | https://filmschoolrejects.com/night-moves-neo-noir/
        
         | pathartl wrote:
         | I actually like Welcome to Mooseport. It's nothing special, but
         | it's a pretty tame comedy from the start of the end of the,
         | imo, golden comedy era.
        
         | ericcumbee wrote:
         | Crimson Tide - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112740/ Gene
         | Hackman, and Denzel Washington with the always outstanding
         | musical score of Hans Zimmer.
        
         | glitchc wrote:
         | The Quick and the Dead for me. His turn as the villian was the
         | best part of that movie.
         | 
         | Enemy of the State is right up there too.
        
         | ourmandave wrote:
         | _Young Frankenstein_ 1974
        
           | MollyRealized wrote:
           | YES! Nice to see someone else who knows about his cameo. "I
           | was gonna make espresso..." Hackman ad libbed that line and
           | the reason that it immediately fades to black afterwards is
           | because the entire crew loudly cracked up, and they couldn't
           | reshoot that line without everyone still getting the giggles.
        
         | singleshot_ wrote:
         | Boy, "it has layers" is an understatement. Go watch this movie,
         | it's fantastic.
        
         | wanderingmoose wrote:
         | I really love Guy Ritchie's tip of the hat in The Gentlemen
         | from Hugh Grant's character where when talking about watching a
         | conversation through a telephoto lens he says, "But I filmed
         | it, had it lip-read, translated, and transcribed. Rather like
         | the classic 1974 film The Conversation starring Gene Hackman
         | and John Cazale. You know, Coppola slipped that one out between
         | the Godfathers. It wasn't really for me. It's a bit boring to
         | be honest...."
         | 
         | I don't know why but that makes me laugh every time. (And I
         | agree w/ The Conversation being underrated)
        
         | toomanyrichies wrote:
         | "The Conversation" is a masterpiece of the golden age of 70s
         | film. "The French Connection" would be on my list too, for
         | similar reasons. Popeye Doyle is a classic 70s protagonist.
         | 
         | I'm surprised no one has mentioned "The Birdcage" yet.
         | Fantastic ensemble cast, and Hackman plays his part to
         | perfection.
         | 
         | "Heist" and "Royal Tenenbaums" would finish out my list.
        
           | toomanyrichies wrote:
           | EDIT- how could I forget "Mississippi Burning"?!? The man was
           | truly a national treasure.
        
         | bbx wrote:
         | My favorite of his as well. Also in my top 10 movies of all
         | time. Just a unique script, great cinematography, and a
         | fantastic performance by Hackman. Love the sound editing.
         | Special guests: Robert Duvall and Harrison Ford.
        
         | lsllc wrote:
         | BAT21
         | 
         | Enemy of the State
        
         | laidoffamazon wrote:
         | I absolutely adored him in Crimson Tide and Enemy of the State.
         | Brilliant movies.
        
         | tfigueroa wrote:
         | I have to go with The Birdcage. Just a silly movie, with
         | Hackman playing a rather timeless portrayal of a politician.
         | The meandering story about "purple mountains" always gets me
         | for some reason.
        
         | tannhaeuser wrote:
         | +1 for The Conversation, an underated, gripping, and creepy
         | movie that is underrated indeed and that I came to watch or
         | even know about only last year (featuring a really young
         | Harrison Ford btw). It's ahead of its time, yet also vaguely
         | reminiscent of 1960's avantgarde movies like Blow Up. I also
         | loved Hackmann's comedy performances, like in French Connection
         | II and in The Birdcage. RIP
        
         | FuriouslyAdrift wrote:
         | Superman!
         | 
         | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_(1978_film)
        
         | mihaaly wrote:
         | All I seen are but I'd highlight his role in the Get Shorty,
         | because it rarely mentioned. So perfecly played small person in
         | a big game character, an other testament to his talent.
        
         | mikesickler wrote:
         | Scarecrow (1973) is a little-known Gene Hackman and Al Pacino
         | movie that's kind of great
        
       | LandR wrote:
       | Him, his wife and his dog found dead in the house ?
       | 
       | Carbon Monoxide, possibly?
       | 
       | Shame. I had no idea the guy was that old.
        
         | water-data-dude wrote:
         | Friendly reminder that "most CO detectors use a sensor with a
         | defined, limited lifespan, and will not work indefinitely."
         | 
         | https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide_detector
        
           | bragr wrote:
           | TIL
           | 
           | Time to visit the hardware store
        
           | jihadjihad wrote:
           | True. Newer ones will last ~10 years, and will shout an EOL
           | warning when they near the end of their life. I've got
           | hardwired combo smoke and CO detectors (AA battery backup)
           | from Kidde at the house and they have this feature.
           | 
           | The nice part of having them hardwired is that the house is
           | now like an office/other building: if one trips, they all
           | trip, so the whole house is alerted. The newer ones have far
           | fewer false alarms, too (pizza in the oven I am looking at
           | you...).
        
             | orra wrote:
             | Hardwiring is good, but if retrofitting, you don't need to
             | do it. Some of the 10 year battery powered units can
             | wirelessly link (and thankfully not over something
             | inconsistent like WiFi or Bluetooth).
        
         | shkkmo wrote:
         | That was my first thought too, but only 1 of their 3 dogs was
         | found dead
        
         | echelon_musk wrote:
         | > The local gas provider, the New Mexico Gas Co, was involved
         | in the investigation alongside the Santa Fe county sheriff's
         | department, Associated Press reported, raising speculation that
         | carbon monoxide poisoning lay behind the deaths
         | 
         | https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/feb/27/gene-hackman-ca...
        
         | canucker2016 wrote:
         | Not when responders arrived according to this article,
         | https://abcnews.go.com/US/actor-gene-hackman-wife-found-dead...
         | The Academy Award-winning actor was found on the floor in the
         | mud room, according to the search warrant. It appeared he fell
         | suddenly, and he and his wife "showed obvious signs of death,"
         | the document said.              Arakawa was found lying on her
         | side on the floor in a bathroom, with a space heater near her
         | body, according to the search warrant.              Her body
         | showed signs of decomposition, the document said. There was
         | mummification to her hands and feet, the document said.
         | A German shepherd was found dead about 10 to 15 feet from
         | Arakawa, the document said.              But two other dogs
         | were found alive. One healthy dog was near Arakawa and the
         | other was located outside, according to the search warrant.
         | The Santa Fe City Fire Department found no signs of a possible
         | carbon monoxide leak or poisoning, the document said. If there
         | was carbon monoxide at the scene, it could have vented out of
         | the home through the open front door before responders arrived.
         | New Mexico Gas Company also responded and "as of now, there are
         | no signs or evidence indicating there were any problems
         | associated to the pipes in and around the residence," the
         | document said.
        
           | ninetyninenine wrote:
           | Very unlikely for two people to die like that at the same
           | time without some common factor. Add a dog and the
           | probability becomes even crazier.
           | 
           | The evidence doesn't show any foul play but the probabilities
           | and unlikelihoods do.
        
             | sparky_z wrote:
             | Keep in mind, he was 95 and was forced into retirement by
             | health issues over 20 years ago. If your base rate is based
             | on two healthy people in their prime, that's a little
             | different. It could be as simple as he found her dead or
             | dying, tried to get help and had a heart attack from the
             | stress or simply just fell. Reports are they weren't found
             | for two weeks, which sadly could explain the dog.
             | 
             | Tragic situation all around, but I'm not ready to use a
             | probability based argument to insist on foul play.
        
               | ninetyninenine wrote:
               | 3 things dying in 2 weeks in the same house is just
               | unlikely and the people must have died within minutes.
               | This is still unlikely EVEN when you take into account
               | age and health issues.
        
         | tiahura wrote:
         | Like Weird Al's folks and those poor people at the Bahama's
         | Sandals.
        
       | locallost wrote:
       | R.I.P. Just watched Mississippi Burning the other day again, what
       | a terrific actor. One of the all time greats, so many memorable
       | roles.
       | 
       | I even thought man he's really old now, but this seems to be a
       | tragedy. What a shame.
        
         | robertlagrant wrote:
         | I always remember him in this role. Such a great film.
        
       | boilerupnc wrote:
       | https://archive.ph/EszIB
        
       | toomuchtodo wrote:
       | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Hackman
       | 
       | https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000432/
       | 
       | Related:
       | 
       |  _Gene Hackman has died_ -
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43194778
       | 
       |  _Sheriff: Gene Hackman, wife found dead in Santa Fe home; no
       | foul play suspected_ -
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43194324
       | 
       |  _Gene Hackman and his wife found dead at their home_ -
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43192605
        
       | danso wrote:
       | Absolutely bonkers that Hackman quit acting more than 20 years
       | ago [0] -- "Welcome to Mooseport (2004)" was his last film. But
       | his body of work in my mind feels as timelessly relevant and
       | fresh as Clint Eastwood's and Bill Murray's. Maybe because I love
       | rewatching Unforgiven and Crimson Tide. I haven't even seen
       | French Connection, which earned him his first Oscar. RIP to this
       | legend.
       | 
       | [0] https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000432/
        
         | xhkkffbf wrote:
         | "French Connection" is truly great. Such a good chase scene.
        
           | sleepybrett wrote:
           | The Conversation and honestly The Royal Tanenbaums.
        
             | munch117 wrote:
             | Whichever of his movies I watched last.
        
             | FuriouslyAdrift wrote:
             | Don't forget his incredible performance as Lex Luther in
             | Superman (1978... written by Mario Puzo...)
             | 
             | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_(1978_film)
        
               | SirFatty wrote:
               | Young Frankenstein FTW!
        
               | fm2606 wrote:
               | Hoosiers is probably my favorite movie of his.
        
             | alsetmusic wrote:
             | Loved him in Get Shorty, too. This is prompting me to
             | finally watch The Conversation tonight.
        
           | jgalt212 wrote:
           | The Ringer has it as #3 all time best chase scene.
           | 
           | https://www.theringer.com/2024/05/21/movies/greatest-
           | movie-c...
        
       | bitwize wrote:
       | A couple of days ago, Michelle Trachtenberg (of Buffy fame) died.
       | Seems the liver issues she'd been clearly undergoing since over a
       | year ago finally caught up with her. She was just 39.
        
       | canucker2016 wrote:
       | Why Gene Hackman stopped acting.
       | 
       | from https://nypost.com/2025/02/27/entertainment/gene-hackman-
       | rev...                   "The straw that broke the camel's back
       | was actually a stress test that I took in New York," Hackman told
       | Empire in a 2009 interview.              "The doctor advised me
       | that my heart wasn't in the kind of shape that I should be
       | putting it under any stress," he added.              He
       | maintained his love for acting and missed it but the business had
       | become too stressful for him.
        
         | Clubber wrote:
         | >"The doctor advised me that my heart wasn't in the kind of
         | shape that I should be putting it under any stress," he added.
         | 
         | >He maintained his love for acting and missed it but the
         | business had become too stressful for him.
         | 
         | Sounds like modern dev work.
        
           | barbazoo wrote:
           | Depends on the individual situation obviously.
        
           | Maxatar wrote:
           | This is a take you'd only hear on a site like Hacker News.
           | 
           | Software development consistently ranks among the least
           | stressful jobs you can get and it's really out of touch to
           | compare this profession to genuinely stressful jobs.
           | 
           | Looking over surveys of most stressful jobs, it looks like
           | the common theme are those that deal directly with people
           | like customer service, sales, nursing/health care, or working
           | in physically demanding environments like cook, construction,
           | fire fighter.
           | 
           | Software development is an incredibly stress-free job in the
           | overwhelming majority of circumstances.
        
             | poulsbohemian wrote:
             | Then consider yourself really lucky because I ended up in
             | the hospital back in 2010 from the stress. Yes I hear there
             | are lovely places with fat salaries, massages, and free
             | lunches, but that's not the majority of software
             | development or tech work.
        
               | vages wrote:
               | Saying that a profession is less stressful than others,
               | doesn't imply it's stress free.
               | 
               | Most professions have a much higher risk of physical
               | violence, for instance.
        
             | EthanHeilman wrote:
             | > Software development consistently ranks among the least
             | stressful jobs you can get and it's really out of touch to
             | compare this profession to genuinely stressful jobs.
             | 
             | I've worked a number of different jobs. Software
             | development isn't the most stressful job, but it can be
             | very stressful.
        
             | bluSCALE4 wrote:
             | I believe the most stressful part of IT is that the job
             | itself is stressful at times. I believe that in most jobs,
             | the job itself isn't stressful, it's the people and the
             | stresses of life due to low pay.
        
             | strangescript wrote:
             | This is sooooo dependent on where you work and your current
             | outside of work situation (ie, you need the money bad)
        
             | pjmlp wrote:
             | Unless one is on consulting, high integrity computing,
             | trading,....
        
             | Sohcahtoa82 wrote:
             | > customer service
             | 
             | You could offer me double my current tech job salary and I
             | still don't think I'd go back to my old retail service job.
             | 
             | People were shitty when I did it 20 years ago, and they've
             | only gotten shittier today.
        
             | cultofmetatron wrote:
             | > Software development is an incredibly stress-free job
             | 
             |  _laughs from a bootstrapped startup_
        
               | joquarky wrote:
               | It's not worth it
               | 
               | I was the second developer at a startup, got a nice
               | bundle of stock options that kept me highly motivated for
               | 12 years but were ultimately worthless when the company
               | sold
        
             | thejazzman wrote:
             | i strongly disagree as a SWE of 16y working silicon valley
             | remotely
             | 
             | there are times it's great. there are times it's awful. and
             | there are times i'm prepared to starve rather than continue
             | working for ____
             | 
             | no one in my extended family went into this industry and
             | none of them deals with the endless stress that i do
             | 
             | i envy those who can't relate
        
             | bryanrasmussen wrote:
             | I've worked in physically demanding environments like cook
             | and construction - there were lots of injuries in the
             | construction job, and a few people died, of course this was
             | when I was young and extremely physically fit, but it was
             | not as stressful as programming can be. More stressful than
             | programming generally is, but not anywhere near as
             | stressful as it can be.
             | 
             | The difference between relatively difficult programming and
             | a lot of jobs is that a lot of jobs have a pretty steady
             | level of stress, whereas the programming stress level can
             | vary incredibly.
        
       | rcleveng wrote:
       | He was a great actor and seemed like such a great human as well.
       | 
       | Never realized until today, reading his bio that he is a former
       | marine.
       | 
       | Semper Fi. Rest in peace Marine!
        
         | cf100clunk wrote:
         | That background may have informed Hackman's portrayal of a
         | military character in ''Bat*21'', a suspenseful film set during
         | the Vietnam War based on the real escape of USAF Lt. Col. Iceal
         | "Ham" Hambleton after being shot down.
        
           | skyyler wrote:
           | I just looked into it and wow, that movie depicts him killing
           | a farmer after failing to steal supplies from his family.
           | 
           | Kind of surprising. Might have to check that out.
        
           | MollyRealized wrote:
           | And of course "Crimson Tide." Good God, was he good in that
           | one.
        
         | iszomer wrote:
         | Oi, his role as a USNavy admiral in the film Behind Enemy Lines
         | now makes sense.
        
       | dbacar wrote:
       | It is strange that I thought he was dead long ago and was
       | surprised to know that he was still alive. Sorry to know that now
       | he passed away for real. Great actor. My favorite Lex Luthor.
        
       | throwaway5752 wrote:
       | ** IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR IT CAN SAVE YOUR
       | LIFE **
       | 
       | Apologies for impolite formating.
       | 
       | https://www.target.com/p/first-alert-2pk-co400cn2-battery-po...
       | 
       | This is a 2 pack. There are better ones, too. If you don't have
       | one already, don't wait another day. Hundreds of people die
       | preventable deaths each year in the US because of this.
        
       | bbx wrote:
       | Sometimes I randomly think of a famous person and ask myself "Are
       | they still alive?". I remember doing it for Burt Bacharach and
       | Dick Van Dyke (who's still alive!). This happened last month with
       | Gene Hackman. I had just rewatched "The Conversation" and "The
       | Firm" (so maybe not so random). So I googled him, and apparently
       | he'd basically quit acting 20 years ago.
       | 
       | It was weird to see recent pictures of him. I guess our memory of
       | a retired actor is often skewed since we constantly see them at a
       | younger age in their movies, but rarely (or never) in a recent
       | context. And considering his impact in cinema history, it didn't
       | feel like he'd left the industry at all.
       | 
       | I hope he went away without pain. R.I.P.
        
         | bsimpson wrote:
         | I had a weird dream in the wee hours of the morning that all
         | the headlines read "Jack Nicholson dead at 95, days after SNL
         | appearance."
         | 
         | I checked my phone out of curiosity, and Gene Hackman was at
         | the top of Google News.
        
         | monero-xmr wrote:
         | Dick Van Dyke just did a music video with Coldplay where he
         | danced, pretty wild https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSeaHfkd3M8
        
       | voisin wrote:
       | His role as Royal Tenenbaum is among my favourite characters in
       | all of film. RIP
        
       | sandebert wrote:
       | There's more information here:
       | https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/feb/27/gene-hackman-ca...
        
       | laidoffamazon wrote:
       | Gene Hackman is one of my favorite actors of all time. There's
       | very few that can match his gravitas - as the young people say,
       | his "aura".
       | 
       | One of the few that can is Denzel, of course...
        
       | gamblor956 wrote:
       | As of this morning, the death is now considered "suspicious." Per
       | local fire and police departments, there was no sign of a gas
       | leak and only 1 of their 3 dogs died. The front door was found
       | ajar, but there were no signs of forced entry.
       | 
       | https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gene-hackman-wife-found...
        
       | datascientist wrote:
       | Mississippi Burning is one my favorite films
       | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_Burning
        
       | fungiblecog wrote:
       | Note to the Times writer if the obituary. you can't accidentally
       | murder someone
        
       | baerrie wrote:
       | Why do stories like this stay at the top of HN but anything
       | "political" gets banned immediately?
        
         | jessriedel wrote:
         | Because the comments aren't as toxic
        
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       (page generated 2025-02-27 23:01 UTC)