Gene Hackman on Mystique and the Everyman Actor

It’s not difficult to slot performers into neat categories, though it can be rather startling when someone steps outside their usual territory. Think of Adam Sandler turning up in Punch Drunk Love—hardly what you’d expect. Some stick to the sort of fare that’s easy on the palate, never straying into the world of arthouse. Among these, you’ll find a range of abilities, with someone like Tom Hanks at one extreme and Vin Diesel at the other. Then there are those who’ll dabble in the experimental but don’t shy away from a mainstream project—Nicole Kidman springs to mind. And, of course, there are the die-hards who rarely, if ever, compromise, keeping to the fringes with films that push boundaries, much like Vincent Gallo.

The most compelling talents, arguably, are those who manage to straddle that middle ground. They take on roles that stretch them, but aren’t above something a bit more accessible. This way, they get to try their hand at a variety of characters and work with all sorts of directors, keeping things interesting while still earning a living.

Hackman’s Take on Screen Presence

Gene Hackman, who’s no stranger to accolades, had his own way of looking at things. For him, it wasn’t just about the types of films actors chose, but the air they brought with them. Some, he reckoned, had an almost impenetrable aura, a sense of mystery that left you guessing. Others, himself included, felt more like someone you might actually know.

“There’s several kinds of movie actors who are popular,” Hackman told Film Comment. “There’s the kind who have the mystique. Cary Grant is a good example. I would not begin to try to tell you who he is, what he’s about personally. But I know from watching him that he’s a great actor and does what he does better than anybody has ever done”.

He went on,

“So there’s that kind of mystique. Then there’s the other end of the pole, which is guys like myself. And then there are guys who probably fall in between, who have a little bit of what I have, maybe, and also have developed a kind of mystique, through whatever it is they do in their private lives.”

The Allure of Mystery Versus Familiarity

Hackman didn’t see the lack of mystique as a drawback. If anything, he suggested that the enigmatic quality some actors possess—Cary Grant being the prime example—could elevate them, but it wasn’t essential for success. Grant, after all, never took home a competitive Oscar, despite starring in classics like North by Northwest and The Philadelphia Story. Yet, his blend of charm, wit, and that elusive something kept audiences coming back.

For Hackman, it was the sense of the ordinary that resonated. He explained,

“I guess the audiences respond to the proletarian man they see in me: the working guy who’s doing vicariously what they would like to do. I think that’s why essentially The French Connection worked. I don’t have any illusions about my being the only actor who could have played that. A lot of guys could have.”

Relatability on Screen

When viewers spot a character who feels like someone they might bump into at the pub or on the street, there’s a certain pull. It draws them in, makes the story feel closer to home. Hackman put it this way:

“They’re able to say that, in some funny kind of way, you know, ‘Yeah, I know who that guy is.’ And that works both positively and negatively, I think, because what it does is give you a kind of familiarity, without the mystique, which is what people are really attracted to, I think,” he concluded.