Gene Hackman 'put fear of God' into director he worked with due to his Hollywood professionalism

Irish Daily Star

24-04-2025

Since the announcement of Gene Hackman's passing, Hollywood has been
sharing tributes and stories
from those who worked alongside the esteemed actor.
John Moore, who directed his first major film, Behind Enemy Lines, at the tender age of 30 in late 2000, was understandably on edge about directing
the legendary yet intimidating Hackman
. Hackman rose to stardom purely on the back of his formidable acting chops.
For Moore, an Irish filmmaker, it was Hackman's
unique approach
to scripts that truly showcased his genius. He would meticulously strip away the writer's directions for how he should play his lines. "He was quietly sitting there, taking script pages out, cutting them up, removing extraneous stuff like scene descriptions, and then sticking them back onto blank pages," Moore recounted.
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Hackman imparted to him: "Acting is my job, you do the rest." This statement, according to Moore, "It put the fear of god into me." He further explained: "It was essentially him saying: 'I don't need anything, as I'm that good. You better bring your A-game, as I'm bringing mine.'"
Gene Hackman In Memoriam at the 97th Oscars
(Image: Penske Media via Getty Images)
However, Moore insisted that he never found Hackman difficult to work with. "He was patient and relentlessly, flawlessly professional. My memories are of him laughing and smiling, and telling very funny jokes," he shared.
Moore conceded that Hackman might have been annoyed with anyone on set who tried to make their role more important than it was. "So I could see how he might be funny about actors who were peacocking themselves," he said, adding, "But again it goes back to the point - he just really wanted to make the films exceptional."
The world was shocked by the sudden death of Hackman, whose body was discovered alongside his 65-year-old wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa.
The couple, who had been married since 1991, were found deceased on Wednesday, February 26, in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, along with one of their pet dogs. Two healthy dogs were also found at the property.
Authorities believe Hackman passed away on February 18 - the date of his last recorded pacemaker activity, which showed an abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation.
His cause of death was severe heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer's disease listed as a contributing factor. Experts believe his Alzheimer's may have prevented him from realizing his wife was dead in the home where he was living.
The Santa Fe medical examiner concluded that the cause of death was hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare respiratory illness transmitted by rodents.
Chief Medical Investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell noted, "based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that [Betsy] passed away first."
Additionally, a necropsy report indicated that one of the couple's three dogs, who was confined in a crate post-surgery, perished due to starvation and dehydration.
With the inquiry underway, those representing Hackman and Arakawa's estate have moved legally to prevent the disclosure of body camera recordings and other visual evidence from their home when their bodies were found. Following their efforts, a New Mexico judge has approved a temporary restraining order barring the release of these materials.