See a first look at Matt Damon in his latest role leading the cast as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey.” The film hits theaters July next year.

Gene Hackman was one of those incredible actors who could disappear into any role, making every performance feel effortless. He was one of my favorite actors and with his recent passing, I found myself thinking about some of my favorite Hackman films.

A lot of cinephiles like to think of Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle as the quintessential Gene Hackman performance, but the truth is, before The French Connection, Hackman had a very different career. Instead of being the “tough guy,” he was more the three-dimensional man with the deep emotions.