Happy 92nd birthday on January 30th Gene Hackman of Santa Fe

It’s a great feeling to wish Santa Fe’s own Gene Hackman a happy 92nd birthday. He’s been a resident of the City Different for more than two decades. He spent six decades as an actor.

I first met him at the Washington Avenue main library in 2001, the year I relocated here from South Florida, a sight never before seen, but I can’t find fault with my decision.

And I remember the day at the library. Hackman was speaking with the librarian at the front desk, and I had no clue until he walked toward the exit and the librarian referred to him as “Mr. Hackman.”

So as he walked past my seat, I asked him if he was the actor Mr.Hackman, and he nodded his head, said hello and was very polite and outgoing, so I shook his hand and said it was great to meet him. He smiled, waved to the librarian, Sonya, and left.

It was a great experience, especially since his “Hoosiers” was one of my favorite movies, and he was one of my favorite actors. The next time I saw him was at the Asian restaurant in my neighborhood where he was seated with his wife, who I later leaned was classical pianist Betsy Arakawa. I strolled to his table, smiled, and mentioned the library where I first met him.

He shook his head, extended his hand and introduced me to his wife, a short Asian woman with a welcoming smile. After that, I only saw him again by watching his films on television, and in fact only recently I watched his “Uncommon Valor”.

He resides in the Tesuque area north of downtown Santa Fe, and his nearby neighbor is former actress Ali MacGraw (“Goodbye Columbus” and “Love Story” fame). But they both have gated fronts and two huge dogs each.

But I do know that Hackman was born on January 30th in San Bernardino, Calif. At age 13, he decided he wanted to be in movies, be an actor, so when he was 17, he drifted around Hollywood, had some small roles, and just took it from there.

He’s won several Academy Awards, a leading man Oscar for his Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle role in the 1971 French Connection thriller that included my former Central Park softball league opponent Tony LoBianco, and for best supporting actor in the 1970 Never Singing for my Father and 1985 Mississippi Burning, and special award for his role in the Clint Eastwood-produced Little Daggett that was filmed in 1989.

He wanted to be a Marine and when he turned 16, he lied about his age and went on to serve three years in the Corps.

In 2004, at age 74, he made his final movie, Welcome to Moosepunt.

But Hoosiers was my favorite. It was filmed in 1970 and was a highly regarded film where he retired as a US Navy pilot, and from his younger years as a basketball coach, answered a national newspaper add seeking a head coach of a men’s college team in Indiana.

He traveled with his outdated car to the town, was hired, and went through several tantrums with the town people, parents, players, was ejected several times from games, and wound up coaching his underdog, small school Hoosiers to the prestigious state championship over Indiana’s  perennial, five-time state champions.

In all, he was nominated eight times for Academy Awards. He also had many other awards, some for individual contributions to the needy, others for his recognition to other charities, and some were surprises he didn’t learn about until they were revealed when he attended functions.

He also won six actors awards and twice the Cecil B. DeMille Golden Globe Award, plus several for his outstanding contributions to the entertainment world.

He also made special appearances on the Ed Sullivan show, the Johnny Carson show, the Larry King show, and many others.

He was first married to Faye Maltelle, they were divorced in 1986 and had three children, all adults now with their own families that Hackman constantly keeps in touch with.

He’s made hundreds of films, but the best known to me were Bonnie & Clyde in 1967, Downhill Racer in 1969, Hoosiers in 1970, French Connection in 1971, Poseidon Adventure in 1972, The Conversation in 1974, Comes a Horseman in 1978,  Bite the Bullet in 1980, On Golden Pond in 1982, A Fistful of Dollars in 1983, the Firm in 1984, Mississippi Burning in 1988, and Crimson Tide in 1995.

He was known as a intuitive and instinctive actor, his brilliance brought him numerous roles, some he disliked, others he simply took on. His quintessence as an actor made him often look at a script that he loved and turned it into a box office hit. He’s never been showy and always on to rave reviews.

Oh, and at age 88, he was still an active bicyclist.

And now at the age of 92, Happy Birthday Eugene Allen Hackman, may you have many more, and Go Hoosiers!