OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Known for movies like Unforgiven and Hoosiers, Gene Hackman had a worldwide spotlight, but his legacy extended beyond Hollywood into Wisconsin communities.
“He was talking about building an airplane, and of course, EAA brings together builders of aircraft,” Dick Knapinski, director of communications for EAA, says.
Knapinski says Hackman owned multiple aircraft and was a pilot for years. Hackman visited EAA in 1989.
“Literally popped in one day to talk to our then-president Tom Poberezny about flying and aircraft,” Knapinski says.
A newspaper clipping from the visit said, “…the star… said it was one of the most enjoyable days he has experienced in quite some time.”
Watch: Oshkosh remembers Gene Hackman's impact on the community
“From what I've read about Gene Hackman throughout his career, he was always intellectually curious… so it doesn’t surprise me that kind of mindset led him to aviation,” Knapinski says.
Hackman had a different sort of impact across Oshkosh. Tripper Pech, manager of House of Heroes Comics, says he grew up watching Hackman as Lex Luthor in the 1978 Superman movie.
“I love that rendition of Lex. It’s one of my favorites,” Pech says.
With a lifelong passion for comics and superheroes, Pech remembers the effect Hackman had on his own life.
“It’s a bit of sadness and melancholy, but you get to remember all the good stuff there, and remember somebody who was able to portray a character that I love to this day,” he says. “Being a good person, that’s really what those movies and comics have taught me.”
So, whether a flying superhero or a flying airplane, Hackman had a special impact on Oshkosh.
“We who live in the Oshkosh area can point to that and go, ‘Yeah, we’re a part of that. We’re that crossroads that brings people together,’” Knapinski says.
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