Net Worth Ranker
What Is Gene Hackman’s Net Worth?
Gene Hackman, the celebrated American actor and novelist, accumulated a significant net worth of $80 million throughout his illustrious career. This substantial sum reflects his success in Hollywood, his earnings from acting roles, and his subsequent ventures into writing.
Gene Hackman’s Early Life and Career Beginnings
Eugene Allen Hackman was born on January 30, 1930, in San Bernardino, California. His early life involved moving between several cities after his parents divorced in 1943, eventually settling in Danville, Illinois. He attended Storm Lake High School in Iowa, but at the age of 16, he enlisted in the Marine Corps after falsifying his age. He served as a field radio operator for four and a half years before being discharged in 1951. After his service, Hackman moved to New York City. He later enrolled at the University of Illinois to study television production and journalism, then moved to Los Angeles, where he attended acting classes at the Pasadena Playhouse Theatre in 1956, where he befriended Dustin Hoffman.
Hackman’s early acting career saw him cast in an off-Broadway production of “Chaparral” in 1958. He debuted on the big screen and television in 1961 with a role in the film “Mad Dog Coll” and an episode of “Tallahassee 7000.” His breakthrough came in 1964 when director Robert Rossen cast him in “Lilith,” alongside Warren Beatty. Beatty later helped him secure the role of Buck Barrow in “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967), which earned Hackman his first Oscar nomination. He notably turned down the role of Mike Brady on “The Brady Bunch” upon his agent’s advice.
Gene Hackman’s Film Career and Accolades
In 1970, Hackman starred in “I Never Sang for My Father,” which earned him another Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His role in “The French Connection” (1971) earned him the Best Actor Oscar. He continued to gain recognition with his appearance in “The Poseidon Adventure” in 1972. The following year, the BAFTA Film Awards honored him with the Best Actor award for his work in “The French Connection” and “The Poseidon Adventure.” In 1974, Hackman appeared in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation,” which garnered him a National Board of Review Award for Best Actor, and he also starred in the classic film “Young Frankenstein.” In 1978, he portrayed Lex Luthor in “Superman: The Movie,” reprising the role in “Superman II” (1980) and “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” (1987).
During the 1980s, Hackman starred in several notable films, including “Red” (1981), “Hoosiers” (1986), and “No Way Out” (1987). He received an Oscar nomination and a National Board of Review Award for his role as an FBI agent in “Mississippi Burning” (1988). In 1993, he won his second Academy Award for his performance in Clint Eastwood’s Western film “Unforgiven.” That year, he also played a corrupt lawyer in “The Firm” and followed up with roles in films such as “Wyatt Earp” (1994), “The Quick and the Dead” (1995), “Crimson Tide” (1995), and “Get Shorty” (1995). He continued to act until his retirement in July 2004, making nine films in the 2000s, including “Under Suspicion” (2000) and “Behind Enemy Lines” (2001). He received critical acclaim and several awards for his performance in Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001). In 2003, he co-starred with Dustin Hoffman in “Runaway Jury,” which was the third of Hackman’s films based on a John Grisham novel. His final film was “Welcome to Mooseport” (2004).
Hackman won over 30 awards, including two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, and two BAFTAs, reflecting his versatility and critical acclaim across different genres. His roles in films such as “The French Connection” and “Unforgiven” significantly boosted his earnings and cemented his status as a top-tier actor, contributing substantially to his $80 million net worth.
Gene Hackman’s Post-Acting Career and Writing Ventures
After retiring from acting in 2004, Gene Hackman pursued writing, co-authoring several novels. He published “Payback at Morning Peak” in 2011 and “Pursuit” in 2013. Additionally, he co-wrote three historical fiction novels with undersea archaeologist Daniel Lenihan: “Wake of the Perdido Star” (1999), “Justice for None” (2004), and “Escape from Andersonville” (2008). While the financial success of these novels is not precisely documented, they contributed modestly to his overall net worth through royalties and sales. His transition to writing showcased his diverse talents and provided a continued source of income.
Gene Hackman’s Real Estate Holdings
For several decades, Gene Hackman resided in Santa Fe, New Mexico, after visiting in the 1980s and purchasing a 12-acre hilltop property in 1990. He transformed a former 1950s lock building into a sprawling 8,000-square-foot Southwestern-style home with 360-degree mountain views extending to the distant Colorado peaks. In 2000, Hackman added a separate 2,367-square-foot guesthouse on the property. Today, this property is estimated to be worth between $8 million and $10 million, illustrating a substantial real estate asset within his portfolio. Will Smith and Jada Smith visited Hackman in Santa Fe during the filming of “Enemy of the State” and were inspired by the “Santa Fe style” of his property, which led them to hire Hackman’s architect to design their 20,000-square-foot multi-structure compound on 100 acres in Malibu.
Additionally, in the 1980s, Gene and his first wife restored a 25-acre property in Montecito, California, which he sold for $5.5 million in 1985. In 2015, a later owner sold this house for $25 million. Hackman also previously owned a house in Pebble Beach, California, which he sold in 1993. This home was listed for $79 million in 2012. These real estate transactions demonstrate his involvement in high-value property markets and contribute to his overall net worth of $80 million.
Gene Hackman’s Personal Life and Other Ventures
Gene Hackman married Faye Maltese on January 1, 1956, and they had three children together: Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie, before divorcing in 1986. He later married Betsy Arakawa in December 1991. Hackman participated in various racing competitions, including the 24 Hours of Daytona Endurance Race and the Long Beach Grand Prix Celebrity Race. In 1990, he underwent an angioplasty after experiencing chest pains while vacationing in Oregon. In 2012, he was hit by a car while riding a bike in the Florida Keys.
Gene Hackman’s financial success was largely driven by his acting career, which spanned several decades and included numerous blockbuster films. His earnings from these roles, combined with his real estate investments and writing ventures, culminated in his impressive $80 million net worth. His talent, versatility, and critical acclaim in the film industry played a pivotal role in his financial achievements.
