A child of a broken home, Gene Hackman left home at 16 for a 3-year hitch with the Marines. Moving to New York after being discharged, he worked in a number of menial jobs before studying journalism and television production on the G.I. Bill at the University of Illinois. Hackman would be over 30 years old when he finally decided to take his chance at acting by enrolling at the Pasadena Playhouse in California.

Credits include: The Miracle Worker, Valley of the Dolls, The Swarm, Prelude to a Kiss and Amityville: The Evil Escapes

Credits include: Serpico, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Phenix City Story, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and The Werewolf of Washington

Credits include: Elmer Gantry, Avanti!, The Harder They Fall, The Phenix City Story and Send Me No Flowers

Credits include: Friday the 13th, Friday the 13th Part 2, Friday the 13th Part III, Mister Roberts and The Tin Star

Credits include: To Kill a Mockingbird, Fail-Safe, Wild River, The True Story of Jesse James and Lonelyhearts

Credits include: Empire of the Ants, The Nest, 4D Man, The Grissom Gang and The Equalizer

Credits include: Phenomenon, Pickup on South Street, Blackboard Jungle, Looking for Mr. Goodbar and The Phenix City Story

Credits include: In a Lonely Place, Sweet Smell of Success, The Blue Gardenia, The Boogie Man Will Get You and Walk Softly, Stranger

Credits include: An Affair to Remember, Family Plot, The Parent Trap, French Connection II and Pygmalion

Credits include: The Heiress, Angel Face, Battle Cry, Jumping Jacks and Danger Signal

Credits include: 12 Angry Men, Twelve Angry Men, Where's That Tiger? and The United States Steel Hour