Gene Hackman’s Unexpected Obsession With In Living Color

Gene Hackman’s reputation as a straight-shooting, no-nonsense bloke has always been hard to shake. Most punters saw him as the go-to for gritty, hard-edged characters, not someone you’d expect to crack a joke or take the mickey out of himself. This image, while earning him heaps of respect and a couple of Oscars, also boxed him in. Hackman himself admitted it was a bit of a sore point. He would’ve been keen to do more comedies, but the offers just didn’t roll in. When scripts full of slapstick or cheeky humour were doing the rounds, his name rarely made the shortlist.

Despite this, Hackman did manage to sneak a bit of wit into his roles. He was a standout in The Birdcage, showing he could handle a lighter touch without hamming it up. His filmography is dotted with sharp one-liners and dry quips, all the more effective coming from a bloke who looked like he’d never cracked a smile in his life. That stone-faced delivery became his trademark, and it’s probably why no one ever pictured him leading a comedy caper.

Behind the Scenes: Hackman’s Comic Tastes

Turns out, Hackman’s personal taste in telly was a fair bit cheekier than anyone guessed. In a 2001 chat with Glenn Whipp, he let slip,

This is going to surprise some people, but I like watching old In Living Color episodes. That’s my sense of humour. Sure, I like watching Cary Grant, and I’d like to think of myself as sophisticated and urbane, but I love watching Jim Carrey, too. A lot of it is so awful, so crass, but it turns me on.

Not exactly what you’d expect from a bloke known for playing the tough guy. The idea of Hackman being a Jim Carrey fan would’ve caught most off guard.

While some of his peers, like Tommy Lee Jones, famously couldn’t stand Carrey’s antics, Hackman was happy to admit he was a fan. Even years after In Living Color wrapped up its five-season run, he was still tuning in to watch the Wayans family and the show’s breakout stars do their thing. The series, after all, helped launch the careers of both Carrey and Jamie Foxx, who’d go on to make a big splash in films.

Missed Opportunities and What Could Have Been

Knowing how much Hackman enjoyed In Living Color and its stars, it’s a bit of a letdown that he never teamed up with Carrey on the big screen. The thought of those two sharing scenes is enough to make any film fan wonder what might have been. Their contrasting styles could’ve made for a classic odd-couple pairing, but it just wasn’t to be.

Still, Hackman’s confession adds a new layer to his public persona. For all his serious roles and granite-faced characters, he clearly had a soft spot for the kind of wild, irreverent comedy that took the mickey out of everything. It’s a reminder that even the toughest blokes can have a surprising side when the cameras stop rolling.