The late great actor Gene Hackman passed away last month, and since he’s one of my top favorite actors, the news hit me harder than other celebrities’ deaths. I’m sure many fans of his work have listed their favorite roles that Hackman has portrayed. Little Bill or Popeye Doyle will likely make most people’s list of his best roles, but I wanted to focus on lesser-known films and roles that Hackman has starred in during his illustrious career.

While some of these movies may not be the best, Hackman’s performance makes them enjoyable enough to watch. I would even say some of them are very good and underrated. Here they are in random order:

1) Scarecrow (1973)

A buddy road comedy-drama film which also stars Al Pacino. The story is about two men, one an ex-con and one homeless, who decided to travel across the country from California to Pittsburgh. They have agreed to start a car-washing business together. Basically, it’s a character study about two losers who had dreams of being successful in this world. Pacino was good but Hackman was the star in this film. Both actors mentioned several times that this is one of their favorite roles that they have starred in.

Sadly, the film failed so badly that Hackman swore he would never work with indie-produced films again and would only work on studio-financed films. I recall an interview in which he said he poured his heart and soul into this character, and the result was that no one saw the film, and it’s been forgotten throughout the years. Fans of Hackman and Pacino should seek out this film.

2) The Package (1989)

It is one of the rare spy/espionage films in which Hackman appeared. I saw this one when I was in high school, and I was shocked that it tanked at the box office. Directed by Andrew Davis (The Fugitive and Under Siege), it’s a thrilling action picture that should’ve been a surefire hit. Tommy Lee Jones co-stars as the assassin whom Hackman’s character must stop. The film contained some great action sequences, especially the climax. The film is available on most streaming services and I highly recommend it for those who haven’t seen this yet.

3) Narrow Margin (1990)

A remake of a 1952 film that I was shocked to learn was hated by so many people when it came out. I’ve never seen the original film, but I really enjoyed this remake. It’s well shot and directed by the late Peter Hyams. Hackman was as great as usual, but James B. Sikking kind of stole the show as the supplicated yet brutal assassin who tried to take down Hackman’s and Anne Archer’s characters. The film sort of gained a cult following throughout the year, and I think it’s one of the better thrillers of the 90s.

4) Heist (2001)

This was the last film of his that I saw in the theater and it’s very good. It has a great ensemble cast: Hackman, Danny De Vito, Delroy Lindo, Sam Rockwell, Rebecca Pidgeon, and Patti Lupone. While it didn’t set the box office on fire, it did quite well in home video. I remember there were talks of a sequel or even a TV series based on the film, but none came to fruition.

5) The Chamber (1996)

Based on a John Grisham popular novel, and it’s one of my favorite Grisham books that I’ve read. When I read the book, I pictured Hackman in the role, and to my surprise, when the film version was announced, Hackman was offered the role and accepted it. Sadly, the lead character was played by Chris O’Donnell, not the actor I was hoping for, but O’Donnell was the actor Hollywood tried to push to be the next big star at the time. Not surprisingly, the film didn’t deliver and tanked at the box office.

6) Bat*21 (1988)

This is probably my least favorite film on this list, but it’s still a very good survival thriller. Vietnam War films were popular in the 80s, but this one offers a fresh perspective on the narrative. The film also stars Danny Glover.

7) Target (1985)

Gene Hackman’s first foray into the spy action thriller genre, and I really enjoyed this one. During the 80s, there was this sub-genre of young men and women of high school or college age going on some big adventures or fighting wars against big threatening enemies. Films like Iron Eagle and Red Dawn are good examples. Then we have this film about a young man played by Matt Dillon who finds out his father, played by Hackman, is a spy. They must go on an adventure to rescue his mom, who was kidnapped by his father’s old enemy.

It takes place mostly in Paris, the film contains some decent action sequences, but what worked was Hackman’s 100% dedication to the role. Had this one starred someone else, it would’ve been a run-of-the-mill action thriller.

8) Absolute Power (1997)

A reunion with Clint Eastwood and this film has all the ingredients of another masterpiece like Unforgiven. The cast, which includes Ed Harris and Laura Linney, is phenomenal, and the story about a career thief (Eastwood) witnessing a horrific crime done by a sitting US president (Hackman) is very intriguing. Unfortunately, the final product came up a bit short. It’s still a good thriller, but it could’ve been much better.

9) Uncommon Valor (1983)

With the popularity of films like Missing in Action and Rambo, this was another take on the genre of the time. The plot is very similar the Chuck Norris’ films and Rambo Part 2, so it’s pretty generic, but with Hackman as the lead, it’s a watchable action thriller.

10) Wyatt Earp (1994)

Of the two films about Wyatt Earp in the early 90s, I think this film is better overall, while Tombstone was more action-related than a story about the famous lawman. Hackman reunited with Kevin Costner after co-starring in No Way Out in 1987. Hackman has a small role here, but he’s quite memorable as Wyatt Earp’s father, Nicholas.

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Those are some of the lesser films that Hackman starred in that I really enjoyed. I didn’t see all the films he appeared in, but even in the not-so-good films, he elevated them to watchability.

May he rest in peace.

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What do you think of these Gene Hackman films? Which movie(s) would you add to this list?