Gene Hackman’s Friend And Legendary NYPD mentor, Randy Jurgensen, 91 — The Last Living ‘French Connection’ Detective

Philip Messing at the New York Post offers a piece on the last French Connection detective, Randy Jurgensen (seen in the above photo). 

The death of Hollywood icon Gene Hackman saddened millions — and a legendary ex-NYPD detective who tutored him in his most famous screen role in “The French Connection”: is feeling his loss more than most.

“We were friends for more than 50 years,” retired NYPD detective Randy Jurgensen, 91, said.

Jurgensen met the actor at a warehouse on East 125th Street with a mandate: to turn him and his similarly little-known co-star, Roy Schieder, into believable undercover narcotics cops.

The tutorial resulted in a 1971 Hollywood blockbuster that would win five Academy Awards, including “Best Actor” for Hackman, “Best Picture” and “Best Director” for William Friedkin. 

You can read the rest of the piece via the link below:

Exclusive | Gene Hackman's NYPD mentor is last living 'French Connection' detective

Note: I've interviewed Randy Jurgensen several times over the years. You can read my Washington Times On Crime column on Randy Jurgensen via the link below:  

Paul Davis On Crime: The Real French Connection Cops: My Washington Times 'On Crime' Column On Legendary Detectives Sonny Grosso And Randy Jurgensen

Below are two photos of Randy Jurgensen from the film The French Connection: