Hollywood titan Gene Hackman (95) has been found dead in his Santa Fe home, alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa (63) and their dog. The cause of their deaths is currently unknown, but law enforcement has confirmed there’s no suspicion of foul play, so as far as we know, this is simply a tragic accident.
From the moment news of Hackman’s death broke, tributes have been flooding in, paying homage to a man universally considered one of the greatest American screen actors. Hackman had a four-decade long career beginning in 1961, dazzling audiences with magnetic performances in the likes of Bonnie and Clyde, The Poseidon Adventure, The French Connection, Reds, Crimson Tide, Unforgiven and Enemy of the State. And, of course, he was brilliant as the conniving Lex Luthor to Christopher Reeve’s Superman.
RIP Gene Hackman 🐐 pic.twitter.com/jxXMvMFIqs
— Patrick Newman (@PotpourriCinema) February 27, 2025
But it’s one of his final performances for which many remember him most fondly. In 2001, Hackman starred as wayward patriarch Royal Tenenbaum in Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums. The story centers on Hackman’s self-centered character trying to wriggle his way back into his estranged family by claiming he’s about to die, resulting in equal parts laughter and melancholy.
The Royal Tenenbaums is a fantastic demonstration of Hackman’s skills and an all-around great movie. So, where can you watch it?
Streaming options
As of writing, The Royal Tenenbaums is available on most streaming services to rent for around $4, including Apple TV, the Microsoft Store, and Amazon Video. In the United States, it’s available to stream on Prime Video, and, in the United Kingdom, it’s available as part of the Disney Plus library.
If you haven’t seen it yet, prepare for an excellent, multi-layered family drama with a stacked cast. Hackman’s front-and-center, but when you have Anjelica Huston, Danny Glover, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson supporting you it’s difficult to go too far wrong.
But, today, all eyes will be on Hackman. Anderson wrote the part with him in mind, “against his wishes,” as the actor was hesitant to accept the role so late into his career. As the director later explained: “He was sort of forced to do the movie. I just kept bothering him. I wore him down. I don’t even have that much access to him, so I don’t know how I went about that, but eventually he just caved.”
That said, Hackman didn’t shy away from throwing his weight around on set. In a 2011 cast reunion (that Hackman didn’t attend), Anjelica Huston recalls a moment where Hackman told Anderson to “pull up your pants and act like a man!”
Gwyneth Paltrow appears to have had a much better time: “I loved being in scenes with him. He was kind of a bear of a guy, but I also found something very sweet and sad in there. I think he’s one of the greatest actors who ever lived. I mean, if you’re Gene Hackman you can be in a ****ing bad mood if you want.”
Hackman may not have died “tragically rescuing his family from the wreckage of a destroyed sinking battleship,” but whenever we rewatch The Royal Tenenbaums, we’re reminded of how great a screen presence he was. He will be missed.
Published: Feb 27, 2025 06:22 am