Celebrity’s status didn’t change strife

I rarely comment much on celebrity issues, but I’ll make an exception here.

This Gene Hackman situation has thoroughly intrigued me.

Years ago, I was sitting out a road closure and snowstorm in Danville, Illinois.

I found a nice major chain hotel with an attached restaurant and lounge which made the delay much more tolerable.

Lining the halls were signed photographs and movie stills of Gene. 

He was originally from Danville, and the locals were quite proud of their native son.

Personally, I have admired his ability to play very diverse roles, all while obviously not being the handsome leading man type, but always being more of an everyman, blue collar type. One outstanding performance was in a little film called “Twice in a Lifetime.”

I’ve always thought it was one of the most realistic films ever made about a man in his 50s facing his own mid life crisis. 

It’s an emotionally gripping, sad, poignant, yet powerful performance by Gene.

Of course you all know the big, flashy roles, Popeye Doyle in “The French Connection,” the coach of Milan against Muncie Central in the film “Hoosiers,” the stern authoritarian submarine skipper in “Crimson Tide,” the federal agent in “Mississippi Burning,” the tired corrupt mob attorney in “The Firm” and the deliciously evil sheriff in “Unforgiven.”

The list goes on.

So, it thoroughly intrigued me about this tragic tale surrounding his death.

I cannot call it an untimely death because Gene was 95 years old and had retired from movies more than 20 years ago. 

A full nine plus days passed before routine gated community landscape maintenance workers discovered the scene.

Gene had no children with his current wife, but did have daughters from his first marriage. 

It’s apparent that they apparently weren’t close because more than nine days passed and no one even missed either one of them.

It proves the point — no matter how famous or wealthy you are, you can still have family division and strife, and are certainly, and absolutely, mortal.

I genuinely liked Gene for what he wasn’t.

He wasn’t that typical pretty boy Hollywood celebrity who tried to pass off an agenda.

He was never political and never seemed to be a part of The So Called Hollywood Elite.

What Gene absolutely was, is a guy who truly gave us some memorable performances on film that will last for all time.

Watch “Twice In A Lifetime” for one memorable role that people either missed entirely or have completely forgotten to see the depth of character in a role.

Goodbye Gene, from that long, cold night in an Illinois snowstorm, waking the halls of a hotel, reading the signatures on the pictures that night, I gained an appreciation for you and your body of work that will remain with me until my last days.