Gene Hackman’s estate sold his art and award collection for millions of dollars.

You thought you knew Gene Hackman? The gritty cop from The French Connection, the ruthless villain who tormented Superman – but few knew about his artistic soul and his artwork that’s making serious money at auction.

When the legendary actor died aged 95 in February this year, he left behind more than just Hollywood memories.

For decades, Gene Hackman’s Golden Globes sat quietly in his home, silent witnesses to a career that captivated audiences worldwide. Recently, bidders raised their paddles at Bonhams auction house for his cherished mementos, including his Golden Globe awards, scripts and an unfinished screenplay.

But the real surprise? Gene was also an accomplished artist and art collector. More than 70 of his paintings went up for sale.

“He was quite a private person and it comes as a surprise to a lot of people,” Anna Hicks, head of private collections at Bonhams, told The Guardian.

“The first thing that everyone says is, ‘This whole wall? He did all of this? When did he have the time?’”

Behind closed doors, the Hollywood legend was quietly creating art and building his art collection. When he retired from acting in 2004, after five decades on screen, he dove headfirst into the art world, transforming from Academy Award winner to serious collector and creator.

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“We have books of sketches that show how he went along and became better and better at it,” Anna explains.

The masterpiece of his art collection, by other artists, is considered to be Milton Avery’s Figure on the Jetty, a haunting painting of a lone figure gazing out to sea, which sold for $508 500 (R8,7 million).

The auction pulled in over $2 million (R34 million), with fans going wild for his movie mementos.

His Golden Globe for The Royal Tenenbaums sold for over $50 000 (R860 000) — higher than its estimate of $3 000-$5 000 (R51 000-R86 000).

His Unforgiven Globe fetched $43 000 (R740 000), and his Cecil B DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award went for $33 280 (R573 000).

Even a collection of Royal Tenenbaums scripts with handwritten notes from director Wes Anderson sold for nearly $9 000 (R155 000).

Another intriguing discovery among his items was an unfinished 33-page script adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs. Gene originally wanted to direct and star as Hannibal Lecter, but abandoned the project when his family intervened.

“Gene Hackman’s daughter read the book and called her father and said, ‘Daddy, you’re not making this movie’” his agent Robert Bookman told Deadline.

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The actor had reportedly accumulated a fortune of $80 million (R1,3 billion), but suffered from Alzheimer’s and succumbed to heart disease just one week after his wife Betsy (63) died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

Their bodies, along with one of their beloved dogs, were discovered by a maintenance worker earlier this year.

Gene’s paintings — seascapes, portraits, and even copies of Van Gogh’s Starry Night — reveal a man quite unlike his tough-guy screen persona.

SOURCES: PEOPLE.COM, THEGUARDIAN.COM, BONHAMS.COM, DAILYMAIL.CO.UK, NYTIMES.COM