\n<\/p>\n
Throughout his career, Hackman took on a variety of film roles\u2014including Detective Jimmy \u201cPopeye\u201d Doyle in\u00a0The French Connection<\/em>, comic book villain Lex Luthor in the\u00a0Superman<\/em>\u00a0movies and Coach Norman Dale in\u00a0Hoosiers<\/em>. He also starred in several Broadway productions, including\u00a0Children From Their Games<\/em>,\u00a0Any Wednesday<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Death and the Maiden<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I\u2019m actually on the set or on a stage, actually doing the work, I loved that process and I loved the creative process of trying to bring a character to life,\u201d Hackman told\u00a0Empire<\/em><\/a>\u00a0in 2009. \u201cAnd then, when you\u2019re actually shooting or performing, there is a kind of a feeling that comes over you, a confidence and kind of a wonderful, washed-over feeling of wellbeing, if you will. When it\u2019s going well!\u201d<\/p>\n However, the thespian\u2014who also portrayed the patriarch in\u00a0The Royal Tenenbaums<\/em>\u00a0as well as a president in\u00a0Absolute Power<\/em>\u2014didn\u2019t get that same feeling with other aspects of the industry.<\/p>\n \u201cWhereas the business part of show business is kinda wicked,\u201d he added. \u201cYou jump from trying to be a sponge, if you will, in terms of input from other actors and the director and everything that\u2019s surrounding you, you jump from that to a luncheon meeting with an agent and a producer on another film, or something that\u2019s gone on on the film that you\u2019re doing. It\u2019s kind of a frying pan. It was jarring and at my age and with my health, I decided I didn\u2019t want to do that any longer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n