47 Quotes by Gene Hackman

It was silly of me to expect [my father] to change or to understand what he had done. So I decided I wasn't obliged to be angry anymore, and I feel very good that we were able to spend time together during the five years before he died.

The difference between a hero and a coward is one step sideways.

I have trouble with direction, because I have trouble with authority. I was not a good Marine.

My wife and I take what we call our Friday comedy day off. We watch standup comics on TV. The raunchier the better. We love Eddie Izzard.

The worst job I ever had was working nights in the Chrysler Building. I was part of a team of about five guys, and we polished the leather furniture.

I went in the Marines when I was 16. I spent four and a half years in the Marines and then came right to New York to be an actor. And then seven years later, I got my first job.

Dysfunctional families have sired a number of pretty good actors.

If you look at yourself as a star, you've already lost something in the portrayal of any human being.

I was trained to be an actor, not a star. I was trained to play roles, not to deal with fame and agents and lawyers and the press.