Gene Hackman Vs Kevin Spacey (Lex Luthor)

Lex Luthor

Who portrayed his
Characteristics the best
Look and Feel the best
Showed himself to be the better Lex Luthor

This may not be a fair thread seeing that Hackman appeared in three superman movies whereas Kevin only appeared in one. So let us compare the performances from Superman I to the current superman release.

Imo, Gene didn't seem to fit the part.

His role was more comical then anything.

Spacey was a true ***** like the real lex.

I like both but Gene is the man. I have not idea how you came up with comical for Gene's performance.

Hackman was the better of the two.

Gene Hackman is the much better Lex Luthor

Spacey seemed like he did not belong at all in the Superman universe

Neither came close to capturing Lex Luther, for me. I think both guys are great actors and im not trying to take anything away from their talent but Spacey was definitely the worse of the two. I preferred Spaceys portrayal over Hackmans but Hackmans performance felt more consistent with the movie that he was in. I kind of agree with Bruce, Spacey didn't feel as though he quite belonged. I don't think this is because he is a bad actor. I think it has more to do with the fact that Singer didn't quite know what he wanted to do. Rather than playing Lex Luther it felt like Spacey was told to play Gene Hackmans Lex Luther.

Kevin Spacey, for me. Gene Hackman is a wonderful actor, but i don't think lex luthor is his. i don't think it's spacey's, either, but the emotional span of spacey's lex was ranged from emotionless down to sadistic humor, which somehow gave me the impression of john doe on the screen.

hackman's lex, though, did go both up and down the emotional scale, but he was never emotionless. so he seemed more of a human being.

Spacey mostly presented him self as an emotionless bastard, which made him a snake. nothing surprised him, nothing fazed him, he was in control and that was it. he was almost unhuman.

and the better plan to expand the earth's real estate totally goes to spacey. 😄

Spacey was lost in the dullness of a film that is called Superman Returns. Hackman was atleast entertaining.