Gene Hackman’s devastating personal connection to his character in ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’
Gene Hackman will forever be remembered as one of the greatest American actors of all time, renowned for his portrayal of stoic yet deeply introspective characters who reflected the everyman of cinema. From the frantic inner turmoil of Harry Caul in The Conversation, the eternal legacy of Bonnie and Clyde within the new Hollywood movement or the unexpected playfulness of Birdcage, the actor never ceased to amaze audiences with the depths of his emotional intelligence and intense dedication to all-encompassing authenticity.
While he is perhaps most revered for his work during the 1960s and ‘70s, forming soaring collaborations with directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, William Friedkin and Warren Beatty, the actor reached new audiences towards the latter part of his career through one surprising project with one of the most fabled directors working today. In addition, his character touched upon a hidden vulnerability that added a layer of nuance to his devastating performance that will remain one of his filmography’s most personal roles.
Wes Anderson is a crucial figure within independent cinema, with his eccentric characters and beautifully symmetrical style emblematic of his unique vision and inspiring a new generation of film lovers and quirky filmmaking. From the uniform colour palette and visuals of Grand Budapest Hotel to the delightful animation of Fantastic Mr Fox and the existentialist strands of Asteroid City, there are few directors with as huge a cult following as Wes Anderson.
But perhaps one of the most notable additions to his filmography is his 2001 work, The Royal Tenenbaums, with an ensemble cast consisting of Gwyneth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson. The story follows the exceptional Tenenbaum family, with each child of Royal and Ethel Tenenbaum possessing miraculous talents. However, the family has a strained relationship with their father, and after years of not speaking, they reunite rather unexpectedly and confront the many years of betrayal, hurt, and disaster.
While each performance adds something different to this uniquely melancholic portrait by Anderson, the glue that holds it all together is Hackman’s stellar rendition as the head of the family, with a firm influence over his children who fear, hate and love him. No one was surprised by Hackman’s masterful performance, but a moving interview on Inside the Actors Studio offered new insight into the devastating truth behind his character.
James Lipton, the host of the show, was known for his therapeutic style of questioning, often dissecting the lives of his guests in an attempt to better understand what motivates their craft. When interviewing Hackman, Lipton started by asking him to recall his early childhood memories and the last time he saw his father, who walked out on the family when he was just 13 years old. Hackman was clearly taken aback by this question, and for once, we see a man known for his stoicism begin to break, trying to contain his hurt. He tries to answer the question in a matter-of-fact way before his voice cracks, and he looks away, eventually breaking the silence by saying, “It’s only been 65 years”.
Hackman reflects on the impact that this early experience had on his ability to act, describing how a trauma like this can allow you to better tap into deeper emotions because it sits closer to the surface. Given this, it is ironic that Hackman was able to channel this hurt into his portrayal of a father who failed his children, expertly morphing into a character who resembles the person who hurt him most in one of his most revered roles.
Perhaps his early experiences of being on the receiving end of this allowed him to portray Royal Tenenbaum in a way that no one else could, with vulnerability and a repressed hurt that adds a deeply personal dimension to the character. When imbued with his signature intensity and quiet anger, as well as the whimsical light-heartedness that we associate with Anderson’s work, Hackman offers a moving portrayal that marks him as one of the true greats. Especially because he humanises someone who once failed him through an artistic lens and turns it into a means of catharsis.
