He won one Oscar for playing Popeye Doyle in “The French Connection,” and all these years later whenever someone props a pork-pie hat on his head on a chilly morning they’re inviting greetings of “Hey, Popeye!” the rest of the day. He won another for “Unforgiven,” which may well be the best Western of them all.

He was nominated three other times, all of them indelible classics: “Bonnie & Clyde,” “I Never Sang for my Father,” “Mississippi Burning.” And as you sifted through the various lists of Gene Hackman’s 10 or 15 or 20 greatest roles after it was learned he’d passed at age 95, some of them never even got around to “Hoosiers.”

That’s a testament to one of the great acting careers ever. So many characters, so much unforgettable work.

It’s also a shame.