PETA Remembers Gene Hackman’s Empathy for Animals

For Immediate Release:
February 27, 2025

Below, please find a statement from PETA Sr. Vice President Lisa Lange on the death of Gene Hackman:

Gene Hackman may have been known for playing the ‘tough guy,’ including the hard-nosed cop Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection and the supervillain Lex Luthor in Superman, but he had a soft heart for animals. From joining PETA in opposing a plan to use 200 ‘retired’ chimpanzees in experiments to rescuing a pair of stray dogs who wandered onto the set of The Replacements, Hackman used his remarkable gifts to make the world a kinder place for all. PETA and the animals have lost a true friend and ally whose compassion will always be remembered.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.