<p id=”par-1_74″>Gene Hackman left two of his <em>Royal Tenenbaums</em> co-stars with memories of him from the set that ranged from “sweet” to “shattered.” Hackman, who was <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/gene-hackmans-wife-betsy-arakawa-times-married.html/”>found dead</a> at his New Mexico home alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog on Feb. 26, 2025, stunned Ben Stiller with his comments on a past movie of his. Meanwhile, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/gwyneth-paltrow/”>Gwyneth Paltrow</a>, who played the Academy Award winner’s on-screen daughter Margot, “loved” a scene they did together. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-gene-hackman-shattered-ben-stiller-s-world-with-2-words-on-the-royal-tenenbaums-set”>Gene Hackman ‘shattered’ Ben Stiller’s ‘world’ with 2 words on ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ set</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image aligncenter size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Gene-Hackman-Ben-Stiller-Gwyneth-Paltrow-and-other-stars-of-The-Royal-Tenenbaums.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Gene Hackman, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, and other stars of ‘The Royal Tenenbaums'” class=”wp-image-3782595″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ cast | Lucy Nicholson/AFP via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-2_48″>It took just two words from Hackman to leave Stiller “shattered” while filming the 2001 Wes Anderson dramedy. Stiller worked up the courage to tell Hackman how “important” his 1972 movie, <em>The Poseidon Adventure</em>, had been to him as a kid only to be crushed by Hackman’s response. </p>
<p id=”par-3_45″>“It was a dream come true for me,” Stiller said of working with Hackman in a 2020 <a href=”https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/07/ben-stiller-the-towering-disaster” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Vanity Fair</a> interview. “The whole shoot, I was waiting to get up the nerve—because he’s an intimidating guy —to tell him how much <em>Poseidon Adventure</em> meant to me.”</p>
<p id=”par-4_28″>Stiller wrote a script inspired by <em>The Poseidon Adventure</em> in the ‘90s called <em>The Towering Disaster</em>. It later came to life with a virtual live read in 2020. </p>
<p id=”par-5_83″>“So, two days before the shoot was over, finally, there’s this quiet moment,” the <em>Zoolander</em> alum continued. “I said, ‘Gene, I just want to say it’s just been amazing working with you. And I didn’t say this before, but really for me, <em>Poseidon Adventure</em> is probably one of the most important movies for me, ever. Because it really made me want to be a filmmaker, to be in movies. And I saw it multiple times, and it just really, really changed my life.” </p>
<p id=”par-6_41″>After a brief pause, Hackman replied, “Oh yeah. Money job,” before getting up and walking away. “My world was shattered,” Stiller recalled. “Even if it was a money job for Hackman, it was the most incredible money-job performance I’ve ever seen.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-gwyneth-paltrow-loved-filming-the-tenenbaums-ice-cream-parlor-with-gene-hackman”>Gwyneth Paltrow ‘loved’ filming the ‘Tenenbaums’ ice cream parlor with Gene Hackman</h2>
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<iframe title=”The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/caMgokYWboU?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-7_30″>As for Paltrow, she remembered having “many great memories” from the set during a virtual panel to mark the movie’s 20th anniversary as part of the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. </p>
<p id=”par-8_39″>“I have so many great memories,” Paltrow said, per <a href=”https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/06/14/gwyneth-paltrow-royal-tenenbaums-anniversary/7695464002/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>USA Today</a>. “I really loved the scene of Gene and I in the ice cream parlor.” (Catch a glimpse of it at the end of <em>The Royal Tenenbaums</em> trailer, above.) </p>
<p id=”par-9_36″>“Doing that was really like a partner highlight for me,” the actor-turned-entrepreneur said. “To do that scene with him, even though he was a little intimidating. He was sweet to me, and that was really special.” </p>
<p id=”par-10_44″>The Goop founder also shared that the scene when her character gets off the bus is the “only” one she “can watch” of herself. Why? Because of the fond memory she has of her late father, Bruce Paltrow, being on the set that day. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-luke-wilson-s-on-set-infatuation-with-paltrow-became-a-problem-for-hackman”>Luke Wilson’s on-set infatuation with Paltrow became a ‘problem’ for Hackman</h2>
<p id=”par-11_40″>At the 10-year <em>Royal Tenenbaums</em> reunion during the 2011 New York Film Festival, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/bill-murray-selena-gomez.html/”>Bill Murray</a> recalled how Hackman wasn’t thrilled when Luke Wilson became infatuated with Paltrow on set. Why? Because of his co-star’s apparent inability to deliver his lines. </p>
<p id=”par-12_35″>“[Hackman] does his thing, and it takes about 50-60 seconds,” Murray said (via <a href=”https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wes-anderson-royal-tenenbaums-cast-248793/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Hollywood Reporter</a>.) “And Luke blew his line 13 or 14 times. Luke Wilson. I thought Luke was good? He’s not good.” </p>
<p id=”par-13_41″>“Because at the time, he was in love with this girl over here [Paltrow], and he couldn’t think straight,” the <em>Riff Raff </em>star explained. “So that’s the problem with Gene. He had to work with Luke, who was dizzy in love.”</p>
<p id=”par-14_42″>Hackman went on to win his third (and final) <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/golden-globes/”>Golden Globe</a> for his performance as the patriarch of the Tenenbaum family. He later unofficially retired from acting in 2004. Rent <em>The Royal Tenenbaums</em> on <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/apple-tv-plus/”>Apple TV+</a> or <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/amazon-prime-video/”>Amazon Prime Video</a> for $3.99. </p>