1. – Gene Hackman, The French Connection, 1971. “He thought Robert Redford should play him” – William Friedkin on the real Popeye Doyle, the cop behind massive, $32m heroin bust in 1962. “ Redford or Rod Taylor. He thought Rod Taylor looked just like him. He had a casting list on the board at his precinct where all the cops could write in their casting choices for his part… his choices being Redford and Taylor. Newman was OK with him, too. Now he sees us running around with this big, fat, drunken left wing slob [New York journalist Jimmy Breslin] who hates the cops! He says: ‘What’s going on?! This is bullshit! Let me fuckin’ do it if you’re gonna go with this asshole! Audition me!’ And I did, and he was terrible. And I said: ‘Eddie, your vision of yourself and mine is at odds’.” Known in the NYPD as “The Actor,” due to his disguises, Eddie played his boss in the film (again in Badge 373, when Robert Duvall played him), and went on to 23 screen roles after 17 years on the beat.
Usual occupation: CopBirth year: 1930Death year: 1995Other name: Casting Calls: 1