Edward R. Egan (January 3, 1930 â€" November 4, 1995) was an American
police detective and actor.Edward R. Egan was born in Queens, New York
on January 3, 1930 to Irish-American parents. Raised by his
grandmother after being orphaned at age 12, he joined the United
States Marine Corps in 1947. After his discharge, he played baseball
for the New York Yankees' Triple-A club in 1950, but he was recalled
to active duty for the Korean War. After his second discharge, he
joined the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in 1955.His career
with the NYPD spanned 15 years, and he was reported to have been
responsible for more than 8,000 arrests. Among his exploits, Egan
(along with his partner Sonny Grosso and other NYPD detectives) broke
up an organized crime ring in 1961, seizing 112 pounds of heroin, a
record amount at the time. The investigation was chronicled in a 1969
book, The French Connection, by Robin Moore.The book was adapted to a
motion picture of the same name, released in 1971. The movie was
highly fictionalized and very successful. The character based on Egan,
Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, was played by Gene Hackman who won an Academy
Award for his performance (the film also won Oscars for Best Picture,
Director, Screenplay, and Editing). The character was called "Popeye"
because that was Egan's nickname in real life. Egan played a role in
the movie as Hackman's supervisor, Simonson. Egan and Grosso were also
technical advisors. Hackman reprised this role in the sequel film
French Connection II in 1975, which depicts a fictionalized story.
police detective and actor.Edward R. Egan was born in Queens, New York
on January 3, 1930 to Irish-American parents. Raised by his
grandmother after being orphaned at age 12, he joined the United
States Marine Corps in 1947. After his discharge, he played baseball
for the New York Yankees' Triple-A club in 1950, but he was recalled
to active duty for the Korean War. After his second discharge, he
joined the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in 1955.His career
with the NYPD spanned 15 years, and he was reported to have been
responsible for more than 8,000 arrests. Among his exploits, Egan
(along with his partner Sonny Grosso and other NYPD detectives) broke
up an organized crime ring in 1961, seizing 112 pounds of heroin, a
record amount at the time. The investigation was chronicled in a 1969
book, The French Connection, by Robin Moore.The book was adapted to a
motion picture of the same name, released in 1971. The movie was
highly fictionalized and very successful. The character based on Egan,
Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, was played by Gene Hackman who won an Academy
Award for his performance (the film also won Oscars for Best Picture,
Director, Screenplay, and Editing). The character was called "Popeye"
because that was Egan's nickname in real life. Egan played a role in
the movie as Hackman's supervisor, Simonson. Egan and Grosso were also
technical advisors. Hackman reprised this role in the sequel film
French Connection II in 1975, which depicts a fictionalized story.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.