A lot of cinephiles like to think of Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle as the quintessential Gene Hackman performance, but the truth is, before The French Connection, Hackman had a very different career. Instead of being the “tough guy,” he was more the three-dimensional man with the deep emotions.

Nobody can lose their shit and start yelling quite like Gene Hackman. The actor, who was discovered dead in his home at the age of 95 this week ( under bizarre-sounding circumstances ), appeared in dozens of movies and won two Oscars. He did comedies, thrillers, and at least one kids movie. He was also the best Lex Luthor we’ve ever had.

Hackman’s breakthrough was in a film that shifted the landscape with its depiction of violence and earned ten Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Widely recognized as one of the best films ever made,

The legendary actor earned an Oscar nomination for "Mississippi Burning," the still-polarizing civil rights era thriller.

You know Gene Hackman from his greatest hits like "The French Connection." But did you know he played an ant? Here's 5 surprising Hackman roles.

He played a complicated hero in “The French Connection” and an arch-villain in “Superman.” Here are some of Hackman’s career highlights.

By Hollywood standards, Hackman was a bit of a late bloomer. He didn’t have his first break out role until 1967, when at the age of 37 he caught the industry’s attention with

An actor who imbued charm or intensity to any role he played, Gene Hackman swallowed the scenery. Here are some of the notable movies he starred in.

Actor Gene Hackman, who appeared in more than 70 films and won two Academy Awards (for "The French Connection" and "Unforgiven"), was found dead at his home near Santa Fe, N.M. this week. He was 95. Correspondent Mo Rocca looks back on Hackman's brilliant career,