‘Bonnie and Clyde’: the turning point of Gene Hackman’s career
The late Gene Hackman had an incredibly impressive career, appearing in various acclaimed movies like Unforgiven, The Conversation, The French Connection, Superman, and The Royal Tenenbaums, racking up two Academy Award wins as a result. Before these roles, however, he appeared in various movies throughout the 1960s in the hopes of breaking through into Hollywood, and it was Bonnie and Clyde that proved to be his magic moment.
The actor had initially signed on to 1967’s The Graduate, not as Benjamin Braddock, Dustin Hoffman’s character, but as Mr Robinson, who was inevitably played by Murray Hamilton. Hackman was in his late 30s by this point, and director Mike Nichols simply didn’t think he was right to play the part, so he was sadly replaced, much to the actor’s dismay.
“That’s what I remember most from my early days, and it still hurts. I was going to play Mr Robinson, Anne Bancroft’s husband. But Mike Nichols didn’t think I was doing it well, and so – one, two, three, I was fired. Mike’s a nice guy, but he’ll fire you without blinking an eye,” Hackman revealed to The Chicago Tribune.
The movie was a hit, becoming one of the most significant entries to the New Hollywood canon, but Hackman didn’t need to worry. That year also marked the debut of Bonnie and Clyde, which would prove to be an incendiary release, defining a new cinematic era for the American film industry with its extreme violence and nihilistic themes.
In the same interview, Hackman explained, “It didn’t really hurt my career. I had Bonnie and Clyde coming out the same year, and that turned everything around for me. But it was painful.” So, while he didn’t exactly get over the pain of being rejected from the classic age-gap comedy-drama, known for iconic lines like “Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me,” Hackman found success elsewhere.
In fact, he found Oscar-nominated success with his performance in Arthur Penn’s hugely popular film Bonnie and Clyde, which elevated his career to the big leagues by opening up doors for him to land some more prominent roles. Within just a few years, he’d earned another Oscar nomination for I Never Sang for My Father before winning ‘Best Actor’ for The French Connection.
Bonnie and Clyde saw Hackman play Buck Barrow, the brother of Warren Beatty’s Clyde Barrow, who joins the criminal couple alongside his wife Blanche, played by Estelle Parsons. Hackman gave a charming performance, although his character is volatile and, of course, incredibly violent. Involved in a turbulent relationship with Blanche, Buck is not the kind of guy you’d want to get on the wrong side of, and Hackman portrays him perfectly.
Demonstrating his ability to play such a vital supporting character so well, it was hardly surprising that he scooped up a ‘Best Supporting Actor’ Academy Award nomination, although he lost out to George Kennedy for Cool Hand Luke. Bonnie and Clyde marked an essential turning point in Hackman’s career, marking his entry into Hollywood as a truly versatile star.
