SR0192 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0192 LRB104 12894 LAW 24379 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of award-winning actor Gene Hackman, formerly of Danville, who passed away in February 2025; and

WHEREAS, Gene Hackman was born Eugene Allen Hackman to Eugene Ezra Hackman and Anna Lyda Gray in San Bernardino, California in 1930; he and his family settled in Danville, Illinois, and he attended Danville High School; he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at the age of 16 after lying about his age, and he worked as a radio operator while stationed in China, Japan, and Hawaii during the late 1940s; and

WHEREAS, Gene Hackman returned to Danville briefly after his military service, trying a stint as a camera operator at WDAN-TV, before relocating to California; while there, he studied under the Pasadena Playhouse, where he and Dustin Hoffman were labeled "Least Likely to Succeed"; he then journeyed to New York, working as a doorman and a waiter before he began landing stage, television, and film roles; and

WHEREAS, Gene Hackman made his film debut with a small, but credited, part in Lilith (1964), opening the door for a career that would span decades and transcend genres and consisted of over 80 films, including such classics as Bonnie and Clyde (1967), The French Connection (1971), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), Superman (1978), Hoosiers (1986), Mississippi Burning (1988), Unforgiven (1992), The Firm (1993), The Birdcage (1996), Enemy of the State (1998), The Replacements (2000), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), and Runaway Jury (2003); and

WHEREAS, Gene Hackman's talents were recognized by the film industry throughout his career; for his early work in The French Connection, he was nominated and won his first Oscar, Golden Globe Award, and BAFTA Award; over the course of his expansive body of work, he won two Oscars, three Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards, one Screen Actors Guild Award, and numerous other awards; his career was further highlighted and honored when he received the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 2003 Golden Globe Awards; and

WHEREAS, Gene Hackman, later in life, added published writer to his list of artistic achievements; he coauthored three historical fiction novels with Daniel Lenihan, Wake of the Perdido Star (1999), Justice for None (2004), and Escape from Andersonville (2008); he also authored the Western novel Payback at Morning Peak (2011) and the police thriller Pursuit (2013); and

WHEREAS, Gene Hackman retained a connection to his boyhood hometown of Danville, revisiting the city several times over the years, including a meet-and-greet fundraising event to save the Fischer Theatre in the 1980s; in turn, he was honored with a plaque at Danville High School and featured in a downtown mural with other notable former residents; and

WHEREAS, Gene Hackman was known for his ability to garner the trust of audiences with the sincerity of his acting; never one to be limited as a one-character actor, he kept audiences returning to witness the versatility, quality, and integrity of his craft; his legacy will live on through the characters he brought to the silver screen and his impact on cinema; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Gene Hackman and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Gene Hackman as an expression of our deepest sympathy.