How Errol Flynn Sparked Gene Hackman’s Lifelong Passion for Acting
Gene Hackman shares how a childhood encounter with Errol Flynn on the big screen ignited his dream of becoming an actor, setting him on a path to Hollywood stardom and two Academy Awards.
Every actor has a moment that changes everything—a spark that sets their future in motion. For Gene Hackman, that moment came as a young boy in the late 1930s, sitting in a dark theater, completely captivated by a film starring Errol Flynn. He couldn’t recall the exact title, but the impact was unforgettable. Watching Flynn’s magnetic presence, Hackman felt as if he was swept right into the story, his imagination running wild as he pictured himself in the hero’s shoes.
Discovering the Magic of Performance
Hackman later described the experience, saying,
“It was an Errol Flynn picture that did it. Anyway, I’m watching this Errol Flynn picture, and all of a sudden I’m Errol Flynn. Then the movie ’s over, I’m leaving the auditorium, still being Errol Flynn, and I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror in the theatre lobby.”
That moment in the lobby was a revelation. He realized he was just a kid, not the swashbuckling star he’d just seen, but the feeling lingered.
“And I stop cold. I’m looking at myself in the mirror, and I’m this little kid, I’m no more Errol Flynn than the man in the moon, and then I ignore the mirror image, and I’m still Errol Flynn, at least, that’s how I feel.”
A Dream Takes Shape
That powerful illusion stuck with him. Hackman became fascinated by the idea that movies could make you believe in something so completely. He wanted to be able to transform, to step into someone else’s life, just like Flynn.
“That’s where and when it dawned on me: If the movies can engender this powerful illusion of realism, then regardless of what I look like, I can be anybody I want to be. I became fascinated with acting, got a job working in a theatre when I was old enough, about age 14, and never really wanted any other career.”
Inspired by both Flynn and James Cagney, Hackman set his sights on acting from that point forward.
From Inspiration to Icon
Hackman’s journey began in earnest in 1959, when he landed his first television role on The United States Steel Hour. It wasn’t long before he made his way to the big screen, earning his first Oscar nomination for his supporting role in Bonnie and Clyde. Just four years later, he took home his first Academy Award for The French Connection, cementing his place among Hollywood ’s elite. Over the decades, Hackman’s career flourished, and he eventually won a second Oscar for his role in Unforgiven. Ironically, his childhood hero Flynn never received an Oscar nomination, making Hackman’s achievements all the more remarkable.