The death of Gene Hackman came as a massive shock to his fans, including me. He was a flawless actor, especially effective in the tough-man-cop roles. He had a strong personality and was one of the best actors of this generation. He could play any role, without inordinate make-up. In fact, he retained his own natural look, for most of his roles. Yet, he could dissolve into any role, more so, in the tough-guy roles.
His movies like The French Connection, Part 1 and 2, and Mississippi Burning, won him a global audience. He was universally admired for his histrionics and dialogue delivery. The manner of his death leaves many question marks and is sad. This was no way for him to go.
Rajendra Aneja,
Mumbai, India