'Villains are always the best roles': Best quotes from late Actor Gene Hackman
Actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their New Mexico home Wednesday afternoon, law enforcement confirmed. The couple’s dog was also found dead, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Officials said the cause of death for the 95-year-old actor and his 64-year-old wife, a pianist, remained under investigation Thursday, but foul play was not suspected.
The two-time Oscar winner stared in voluminous films throughout his career, including “Superman” and “Superman II” in which he portrayed the character Lex Luthor and starred opposite Christopher Reeve’s Superman; and “Unforgiven” in which he played the character Sheriff Little Bill Daggett.
An autopsy will determine how the couple died.
Whether he was playing a role in a movie or speaking publicly, here are some of his best quotes:
‘I never think of myself that way’
“Warren Beatty is a star. Robert Redford is a star. Brad Pitt. I never think of myself that way,” Hackman told the late American radio and TV host Larry King in 2004. “I never had the aspirations to be a star. I wanted to be an actor. A movie actor, a theater actor, that’s all I ever wanted to do.
‘Villains are always the best roles’
“Villains are always the best roles,” Hackman told The Washington Post in 1996. “It’s the best kind of acting. The things you get to do.”
‘Dysfunctional families’
“Dysfunctional families have sired a lot of pretty good actors,” Hackman told The New York Times in 2001.
‘Take a chill pill’
As Lex Luthor in “Superman”: “This is your last chance, Superman. Why don’t you do yourself a favor, and take a chill pill.”
‘Trials are too important’
As Rankin Fitch in “Runaway Jury: “Gentlemen, trials are too important to be left up to juries.”
‘Read the ingredients’
As Lex Luthor in “Superman”: “Some people can read “War and Peace” and come away thinking it’s a simple adventure story. Others can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.”
‘A sense of immortality’
As himself: “When you’re on top, you get a sense of immortality. You feel you can do no wrong, that it will always be good no matter what the role. Well, in truth, that feeling is death. You must be honest with yourself.”
‘The secrets of the universe’
As Lex Luthor in “Superman”: “Some people can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe.”
‘She could talk her way out of a sunburn’
As Joe Moore in the movie “Heist”: ‘She could talk her way out of a sunburn.’
‘Your weight and my I.Q.’
As Lex Luthor in “Superman”: “Do you know why the number two hundred is so vitally descriptive to both you and me? It’s your weight and my I.Q.”
This is a developing story.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for Paste BN. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.