The Heartwarming (And Important) Reason Why Gene Hackman Starred In The Birdcage
The world has lost an absolute legend, with Gene Hackman having passed away at the age of 95. The Oscar-winning actor was best known for his more dramatic performances, including those in classic films like "The French Connection" and "Unforgiven," among many others. That being said, Hackman did occasionally work on more comedic material, with "Young Frankenstein" ranking as another classic cut from that cloth. But perhaps his most famous comedic role came in 1996 with "The Birdcage."
In case you need a reminder (or are not familiar), "The Birdcage" stars Robin Williams as Armand, a gay Miami nightclub owner who pretends to be a straight man while hosting his very conservative future in-laws, including his future daughter-in-law Barbara (Calista Flockhart), at a meet-and-greet dinner party. Nathan Lane costars in the movie as Armand's drag-queen partner Albert, while Hackman plays Kevin Keeley, Barbara's father and a conservative senator who's keen to present himself as being a family man after catching strays from a fellow politician's scandal.
"The Birdcage" is remembered fondly as one of Williams' best movies, but Hackman helps to elevate director Mike Nichols' comedy to something truly special. So, why did the actor decide to take on such an unexpected role decades into his career? "I love it when a message of tolerance can be couched in entertainment," Hackman said of his decision to star in the film, speaking in an interview published in the March 1996 issue of The Advocate. He continued, explaining that the message of the movie was likely to resonate because it's being conveyed through comedy:
"I feel the message here will communicate all the more powerfully because people will be laughing while they're absorbing it."
Gene Hackman wanted to return to his comedic roots with The Birdcage
Acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community has come a long way in the last 30 years. We've still got a long way to go, there's no question about that, but "The Birdcage" truly is about acceptance, and Keeley's turn towards acceptance by the end of the film is truly something. The fact that the actor was personally motivated by that message speaks volumes about him.
Beyond that, the same article explained that Hackman, who at that point had around four decades' worth of experience as an actor under his belt, "relished the chance to return to his roots in improvisational comedy." Again, Hackman isn't known primarily as a comedic actor, but that's where he got his start. Somewhat fittingly, Hackman's final movie before disappearing from Hollywood was the 2004 comedy "Welcome to Mooseport."
Any good actor needs range, that almost goes without saying. But Hackman was truly one of the best actors ever, without hyperbole. It would have been very easy for him to just play the straight man in this movie and walk away with a healthy paycheck, while still probably getting a fair amount of credit. Yet, he went above and beyond. Speaking further in the same interview, Hackman offered a window into his thinking on playing Keeley:
"The role appealed to me because I enjoy parts that are a stretch from who I really am [...] I had to get inside of Keeley's rigid self-protection to understand the driving force of prejudice."