Trivia

- Is born under the astrological star sign of Aquarius.

- Says that his childhood movie idol was Errol Flynn.

- Lied about his age in order to join the U.S. Marines at 16.

- Was jailed as a teenager in 1946 for stealing candy and soda from a store.

- Whilst a young, struggling actor in New York, he worked as a soda jerk in a pharmacy, and also as a furniture removal hand.

- Enjoys painting and writing fiction.

- Is only of only a few actors to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Role, after winning an Oscar for Best Actor. Others to do so include Jack Nicholson and Helen Hayes.

- Has played the role of fictional President three times; he played President in Superman (1978), Absolute Power (1997), and also in Welcome To Moose port (2004).

- Turned down the lead roles in Jaws (1975), Close Encounters of The Third Kind (1977) and Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981).

- Was the subject of the song “Gene Hackman” by Hoodoo Gurus.

- Even though he no longer smokes, he played the role of a chain-smoker in Heartbreakers (2001), using a special kind of cigarette that gives heavy smoke without inhaling.

- Was the first choice to play Hannibal Lector in Silence Of The Lambs.

- Has appeared in three legal dramas adapted from novels by John Grisham: The Firm (1993), The Chamber (1996) and Runaway Jury (2003).

- Says that watching his own films makes him very nervous.

- Was involved in a road rage incident in Hollywood in 2001 when two young men attacked him after he ran into their car.

 
Search

Biography

Search

Search our biographies for the stars of past and present


Cook book

Win

Cook book

Award winning Italian chef and restaurateur, Aldo Zilli's exciting new book, Zilli Light, has a section of zesty and healthy recipes based on the mouth-watering Mediterranean diet

Enter here to win a copy
 
GalleryLightboxDialog