The Only Main Actor Still Alive From The French Connection

The Only Main Actor Still Alive From The French Connection

As a fan of timeless cinema, I must say that Gene Hackman’s career is nothing short of extraordinary. The man who brought Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle to life in “The French Connection” has been a staple in Hollywood for decades. From his Oscar-winning performance in the gritty crime thriller to his iconic roles as Lex Luthor, Pappy Ricketts, and many more, Hackman’s acting resume is nothing if not impressive.


Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, played by Gene Hackman in New York City Police Department, shows no signs of letting up. On the narcotics beat, he’s relentlessly pursuing a Marseille-linked heroin trafficking ring. However, Popeye finds himself caught up in danger as he chases after the elusive kingpin Alain “Frog One” Charnier (Fernando Rey) and Salvatore “Sal” Boca (Tony Lo Bianco), trying to apprehend them and halt another batch of French heroin from slipping away. But, it seems that criminal connections could keep Sal and Alain out of jail. With the assistance of his partner Buddy “Cloudy” Russo (Roy Scheider), Popeye tirelessly presses on in this cat-and-mouse game.

The intriguing storyline that made “The French Connection,” an Oscar-winning film, famous is this one. Loosely based on real events and recognized for its exhilarating car chases, it has earned a reputation as one of the greatest crime thrillers ever made. The movie was so successful that it led to a sequel, a telefilm serving as a pilot for an unrealized series, and it’s been quite some time since “The French Connection” graced the silver screen. Many of the main cast members have since passed away, but one actor from the film remains alive and has an impressive resume. Here is the only surviving main actor from “The French Connection.”

Gene Hackman

The Only Main Actor Still Alive From The French Connection

Gene Hackman is the last of the principal actors from the movie “The French Connection” still alive. At that time, he was an accomplished actor who had recently finished working on “I Never Sang for My Father.” The Oscar he received for his role in “The French Connection” was one of many positive developments in his career during the early 1970s. Hackman played a leading role in the 1972 box-office hit, “The Poseidon Adventure,” and reprised his role as Popeye Doyle in the 1975 sequel to “The French Connection.” It’s impressive considering that Hackman himself confessed he watched the movie only once and never again.

In a turn of events, Hackman secured the role of Lex Luthor in the Richard Donner “Superman” series and went on to lead films like “Hoosiers” and “Mississippi Burning.” He also had notable supporting roles in movies such as “Unforgiven,” “The Quick and the Dead,” “The Firm,” “Crimson Tide,” “The Birdcage,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” and “Get Shorty.” His latest role was in “Welcome to Mooseport,” which might have marked the end of his acting career. Hackman announced his retirement from acting in 2008 and has since penned several novels. Recently, he seems to be enjoying a peaceful retirement – an arrangement that fans have been eager to support when photos of him surfaced in early 2024. At the age of 94 at the time of writing, it’s clear he deserves some well-earned rest.

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2024-08-21 14:59