Gene Hackman was born Eugene Allen (or Alden) Hackman on January 30, 1930, in San Bernardino, California. Per The Famous People, he was the one of two boys born to Eugene Ezra Hackman and Anna Lyda Elizabeth. His father worked as a newspaper printing press operator and was a strict disciplinarian (via Independent). Perhaps it was his father's profession that led Hackman toward a job in media later on.
Sadly, Hackman's upbringing was less than stellar. In his early teens, his family relocated a lot and eventually ending up in Danville, Illinois. These constant moves likely didn't offer the stability that would've kept Hackman grounded, and the last move changed his family forever. The elder Hackman would leave the family and never return, per Biography. He and his brother were left with their mother, who was now a single parent. Adding to their trauma, Hackman's mother moved in with his grandmother, who wasn't fond of him. This is probably why, along with other factors, he dropped out of high school.
According to the book "Reaching Beyond Excellence" by Jim Mathis, Hackman was arrested and jailed for stealing at 16 years old, and he lied about his age to join the Marines. Hackman spent four years in service, and in that time, finished high school and worked as a radio announcer, says Vanity Fair. But an accident forced him to be discharged in 1951. Afterward, he returned home to Illinois and worked as a cameraman for his local news station, per Danville Public Library.
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