Big Blue Huddle

Gene Hackman (one of my favorite actors) has lived like a recluse for the last decade or so. Here he is at 93 and a picture taken by the paparazzi that makes me sad. My Dad made it to 94 and that made me sad to see how such a strong man can deteriorate to a shadow of who he was

growing old sucks, but it sure beats the alternative

https://nypost.com/2023/03/07/reclusive-gene-hackman-93-looks-fit-as-he-pumps-gas-performs-yard-work/

Quote from: Jolly Blue Giant on March 08, 2023, 12:32:49 PMGene Hackman (one of my favorite actors) has lived like a recluse for the last decade or so. Here he is at 93 and a picture taken by the paparazzi that makes me sad. My Dad made it to 94 and that made me sad to see how such a strong man can deteriorate to a shadow of who he was

I think Hackman looks pretty damn good here for 94!! We should all be so lucky.

Maybe even younger than this...

I'll be 75 next month. I'll say I am in reasonable good health. For awhile when my back hurt or my knees ached etc. I would say getting old sucks but at some point I realized that getting old is great. I think about a lot of my friends who are no longer with us but for some reason I'm still here watching my 7 year old grandson growing up. And for that I am grateful.

Bill

I've been doing genealogical research for more than 40 years and have visited a ridiculous amount of cemeteries over those years. There's one cemetery that has a headstone as a welcome sign. It says, "Never complain about aches and pains that come with old age, this place is filled with people who never got that chance". It always put a smile on my face whenever I've seen it

Wow...I would have never recognized him, Jolly! BTW, I'm in my 40s, but he's one of my favorite actors of all time too. Mississippi Burning, Bat21, Unforgiven, The Firm and Crimson Tide are some my all-time favorite's because of Hackman.   

Quote from: kingm56 on March 08, 2023, 06:39:14 PMWow...I would have never recognized him, Jolly! BTW, I'm in my 40s, but he's one of my favorite actors of all time too. Mississippi Burning, Bat21, Unforgiven, The Firm and Crimson Tide are some my all-time favorite's because of Hackman.   

Great point. Hackman was one of those rare actors where you loved the movies he was in BECAUSE of him being in them.

There are plenty of big name stars that I wouldn't necessarily say the same thing about.

Hackman quit making movies and said, "I was trained to be an actor, not a star"

A couple of my favorite clips of Hackman...the first one is with Denis Farina (loved him...may he RIP) in the movie "Get Shorty"...if you haven't seen the movie, Ray Barboni (mob boss/thug played by Farina) is looking for Chili Palmer (John Travolta) who has run off to Hollywood with Barboni's money. Barboni always dealt with his underlings with the statement, "look at me" before talking. Chili Palmer picked up the saying and dumped it on Harry Zimm (Hackman), who also likes the saying, so Barboni's pretty perturbed when Zimm starts off a conversation with Barboni and telling him to "look at me"...LOL



He was great as a tobacco tycoon in "Heartbreakers" (and another RIP, Ray Liotta  )

Quote from: Jolly Blue Giant on March 08, 2023, 07:11:07 PMHackman quit making movies and said, "I was trained to be an actor, not a star"

A couple of my favorite clips of Hackman...the first one is with Denis Farina (loved him...may he RIP) in the movie "Get Shorty"...if you haven't seen the movie, Ray Barboni (mob boss/thug played by Farina) is looking for Chili Palmer (John Travolta) who has run off to Hollywood with Barboni's money. Barboni always dealt with his underlings with the statement, "look at me" before talking. Chili Palmer picked up the saying and dumped it on Harry Zimm (Hackman), who also likes the saying, so Barboni's pretty perturbed when Zimm starts off a conversation with Barboni and telling him to "look at me"...LOL

He was great as a tobacco tycoon in "Heartbreakers" (and another RIP, Ray Liotta  )

Great ones.

And then of course this gem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCZyxZYgKIg

Quote from: Jolly Blue Giant on March 08, 2023, 12:32:49 PMGene Hackman (one of my favorite actors) has lived like a recluse for the last decade or so. Here he is at 93 and a picture taken by the paparazzi that makes me sad. My Dad made it to 94 and that made me sad to see how such a strong man can deteriorate to a shadow of who he was

If I'm cutting about in jeans getting a coffee and a snack under my own steam at 94, I'll take that right now.

Quote from: MagicRat on April 09, 2023, 03:10:17 PMIf I'm cutting about in jeans getting a coffee and a snack under my own steam at 94, I'll take that right now.

I'll take that at 84.

Quote from: Bill Brown on March 08, 2023, 04:16:07 PMI'll be 75 next month. I'll say I am in reasonable good health. For awhile when my back hurt or my knees ached etc. I would say getting old sucks but at some point I realized that getting old is great. I think about a lot of my friends who are no longer with us but for some reason I'm still here watching my 7 year old grandson growing up. And for that I am grateful.

Bill

I turn 60 in July, I lost my best bud when he was 43.
He was 4 days older than me (a fact I never let him forget?).

Turned out he'd been a high functioning alcoholic for about a decade and none of us had ever known.
His liver, and assorted other organs, simply stopped working.
I was always the piss head, the amount of times he got me home in one piece or stopped me getting into nonsense......

Anyway, point is you're spot on. Growing old is f-ing brilliant, I know far too many who haven't had the chance.

Enjoy every sandwich.

My brother just returned to Balston Spa from California, bringing my dad east. This was this past Saturday. Dad's 99 now, had to give up driving last year because he doesn't always see so well anymore.
 Mind is all there tho!
Body may be old but the mind is still good, looks like Gene is blessed as hes still getting around well!
 I have my house on the market, will be joining them somewhere in the area as soon as it sells.
 Hope to get a couple of Sundays in with my dad this fall.
EVERBODYS getting up there, its noit easy getting old.