Only three years before his retirement, citing health concerns, late actor , who passed away recently, reminded fans of his unmatchable acting potential by stealing the thunder from an ensemble cast featuring , , , , , and . In the role of the absentee patriarch Royal O'Reilly Tenenbaum, that lies at the heart of all emotions evoked by the 2001 film, . While it may be unimaginable now to think of the film without Hackman's portrayal of the callous patriarch, he initially rejected one of his last iconic roles in a career spanning six decades that ended with 2004's .

In The Royal Tenenbaums, to a trio of equally quirky children, all of whom were child prodigies and find varying degrees of success in their adulthood, with a streak of common trauma lining their lives. Thanks to Anderson and his co-writer and frequent collaborator Owen Wilson, Hackman's Royal Tenenbaum comes out as If it is ever felt that every bit of the character of Royal was written for Hackman to really flourish in his shoes, it's simply because . In an interview for Vulture, Anderson said that the character was written for Hackman "against his wishes." The director confirmed that Hackman was in his mind during the writing, and he told this to Hackman when he met him. Considering this, it turned out to be a setback

According to the Telegraph, both and were interested in the role. Hackman was forced to do the movie due to Anderson's persistent efforts and an important role played by Hackman's agent, who was close to the actor. While Hackman eventually agreed, there were potentially multiple reasons for his initial refusal to take up the film. The legendary actor revealed that (via Vulture), suggesting that they know him well enough to know who he really is. The celebrated director also cited financial reasons for Hackman's hesitance. who adored its brilliant ensemble cast. Anderson believes that if he'd actually gone to the Academy Award-winning actor with an offer that matched his usual fee, it would have been easier to convince him.

Well, . In an interview with the New York Times, Hackman admitted that while he was not as bad as the character he played in the film, he may have been a better fit for the role than he realized. He admitted that he was fairly insensitive towards his children and ex-wife—something he shares with the self-absorbed character he played on-screen. In his own case, , allowing similar parallels to be drawn to the dysfunctional family depicted in The Royal Tenenbaums. Thankfully, after an 18-month refusal spree (via the Telegraph), Hackman was convinced by his agent for what turned out to be

Apart from the masterclass that was put on for audiences to enjoy via the collaboration of Hackman and Anderson, The Royal Tenenbaums is also known for the on-set tension between the actor and the director. According to Anjelica Huston (via the Telegraph), when one of the scenes required Huston to slap the actor. After the scene, Huston could see the imprint of her hands on his cheek. While Huston did not receive any flak from Hackman, Hackman's anger was directed toward the director, and at one point.

who was still a young director at the time of the filming. Gwyneth Paltrow, who played the role of Hackman's on-screen adopted daughter, also pointed out Hackman's sensitive temperament, which was further impacted by his experience working with Luke Wilson and the late Kumar Pallana, who played Royal's trusted sidekick Pagoda. Hackman remained largely absent from publicity events related to the film since the film's premiere in 2001, according to the Telegraph.

There's a lot of film history behind Hackman's glorious involvement in The Royal Tenenbaums. However, Hackman's portrayal of the dysfunctional patriarch of a dysfunctional family brimming with disjointed individuals with remarkable talents outshines everything. The Royal Tenenbaums' Royal Tenenbaum stands out in Hackman's illustrious and memorable portfolio of characters, making the film a must-watch for fans wanting to revisit the actor's greatest hits on the news of his unfortunate passing.