Born January 30, 1930, Hackman is a renowned American actor and novelist. In a career spanning five decades, he was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning Best Actor in The French Connection and Best Supporting Actor in Unforgiven. He won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs.

As a youth, Hackman left home at age 16 and lied about his age to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. He served four and a half years as a field radio operator. He was stationed in China (Qingdao, and later in Shanghai). When the Communist Revolution conquered the mainland in 1949, Hackman was assigned to Hawaii and Japan. Following his discharge, he worked both in California and New York.

In 1956, he began pursuing an acting career, first joining the Pasadena Playhouse in California. Then, he, along with friends Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall, tackled the New York acting scene; Hackman first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde, in which he gained his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His most recent film appearance was 2004’s romantic comedy Welcome to Mooseport, co-starring comedian Ray Romano.

Hackman also has pursued novel writing, and has written both solo projects and collaborative works with an undersea archeologist, Daniel Lenihan.