'Get Shorty' Director Barry Sonnenfeld Reveals How Gene Hackman Was in 'Constant, Self-Loathing Pain and HATED Himself'
Gene Hackman wasn't too happy with himself director Barry Sonnenfeld once wrote in his memoir.
March 14 2025, Published 6:30 p.m. ET
In his 2024 memoir, Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time, Barry Sonnenfeld wrote Gene Hackman "hated himself," just months before the Oscar winning actor was found dead alongside his wife, Besty Arakawa.
Sonnenfeld directed Hackman in the 1995 comedy Get Shorty, and described his wild time filming with the Hollywood star, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Sonnenfeld directed Hackman in the 1995 comedy 'Get Shorty.'
In the book's chapter titled Chapter, Wool Shirt, Sonnenfeld recalled a scene where Hackman nailed his dialogue. However, his co-star John Travolta was struggling.
"Hackman was getting more and more frustrated with John’s delayed responses and lack of pace," Sonnenfeld wrote.
He continued: "At which point, Gene, instead of speaking the dialogue as written, screamed: 'You know what? Cut the f------ camera. You truly don’t have a f------ clue, do you?'
"'You’ll take advice from anyone. You’ll take direction from your own f------ wife! Don’t you have any god-damn opinions of your own?'"
In his memoir, 'Best Possible Place, Worst Possible Time,' Sonnenfeld recalled Hackman's frustration with john Travolta.
While the cast and crew broke for lunch, Sonnenfeld told Hackman: "Hey, Gene. One second. Just so you know. If it helps to yell at me this entire movie, go ahead. It doesn’t bother me at all, so keep screaming."
"'What the f--- are you talking about?'" the Unforgiven actor responded.
Sonnenfeld replied: "I know you’re not angry at me. You’re angry at John for not knowing his lines and you can’t yell at him, since you’ve got to work with him for the next ten weeks."
In response, Hackman invited the Hollywood director over to his trailer to hash it out.
Sonnenfeld wrote: "Sitting in Gene’s trailer, preferring to be anywhere but here, Hackman tells me he wears a hair shirt (a garment made from rough animal hair, usually goat, designed to make the wearer – usually British – uncomfortable).
"Gene is in constant, self-loathing pain. Fine for him, not so great for Barry. He tells me how much he hates himself, how hard it is to be him, and how angry he always is."
"Travolta and Hackman had other run-ins, but in every case, John was oblivious to Gene’s frustration and I took the brunt of his fury," he added.
Sonnenfeld claimed Hackman 'hated himself.'
Hackman, 95, and Arakawa were found dead – and "mummified" – in separate rooms on Wednesday, February 26, inside their mansion.
Arakawa was found decomposed with bloating on her face and mummification of her hands and feet, while Hackman was exhibited the same signs of rot.
Due to to the decomposed state of the pair's bodies, it took authorities on the scene 12 hours to identify them.
At the time, many theories were spewed before the official causes of death of the pair was revealed, including "companion suicide."
However, Dr. Heather Jarrell, chief medical investigator for the state of New Mexico, concluded Arakawa, 65, died from Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a rare disease carried by rodents – while Hackman succumbed due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease, worsened due to his Alzheimer's.
The star's autopsy showed no signs of internal or external trauma, but did detail severe heart disease as well as evidence of prior heart attacks.
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The iconic actor was found dead in his mansion alongside his wife last month.
Arakawa is believed to have died about a week before Hackman.
