The late Gene Hackman starred in numerous movies that are now considered classics. From “The Conversation” to “The French Connection,” “Unforgiven,” and everything in-between them, his filmography is littered with projects that most actors would love to have on their resume, even though Hackman himself believed that he wasn’t the right man for some of his iconic roles. That said, even the most successful actors have regrets, and for Hackman, one of his main ones was turning down the chance to star in 1980’s “Ordinary People.”
Directed by Robert Redford and written by Alvin Sargent (adapting the 1976 novel of the same name by Judith Guest), “Ordinary People” tells the story of a wealthy family that’s overcome with grief following the death of one of their sons. Donald Sutherland’s character, Calvin Jarrett, is the father tasked with trying to keep everyone together as his household begins to disintegrate in the aftermath of the tragedy, and the actor gives an emotionally moving performance that generated heaps of critical acclaim.
“Ordinary People” was nominated for six Academy Awards and won four of them (including the Best Picture Oscar), so it’s understandable why Hackman wished that he had accepted the gig when it was offered to him. With that in mind, why did he turn down the project in the first place?
Gene Hackman turned down Ordinary People for financial reasons
Gene Hackman was an in-demand actor in the late ’70s and early ’80s, so he probably received tons of offers for enticing projects that he turned down for whatever reason. However, while “Ordinary People” appealed to his taste buds, he and the studio couldn’t see eye to eye on the business side of things. As the actor explained to the Chicago Tribune back in 1985:
“I liked the script but couldn’t come to an agreement regarding the — how can I phrase it? — the compensation. If I thought about it, I supposed I would have to have some regrets. So the thing to do is not to think about it, don’t you think?”
“Ordinary People” is the project that got away for the late actor, although there were also at least two movies that Hackman regretted starring in. This just goes to show that even the best performers out there make mistakes sometimes. Still, the sheer strength of Hackman’s overall filmography is proof that he leaves behind more hits than misses.