Gene Hackman was honored with a heartfelt tribute at the Oscars on Sunday by his close friend and fellow Oscar-winner, Morgan Freeman. Freeman took the stage to pay tribute to Hackman, who, earlier this week, was found dead along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, at their New Mexico home. The circumstances of their deaths were deemed “suspicious enough” to prompt an investigation.
Before the in memoriam segment, Freeman praised Hackman as a “giant” in the film industry and a “dear friend.” He shared a quote from Hackman, who once said, “I don’t think about legacy. I just hope people remember me as someone who tried to do good work.” Freeman added, “So I think I speak for us all when I say, Gene, you’ll be remembered for that – and for so much more.”
Hackman and Freeman shared a friendship that lasted decades. They starred together in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 western Unforgiven and the 2000 film Under Suspicion. Freeman, however, admired Hackman’s work long before they ever collaborated.
Morgan Freeman once shared his admiration for Gene Hackman, calling him a remarkable actor. In a 2000 conversation at the British Film Institute, Freeman expressed how he marveled at Hackman’s talent every time he saw him perform.
Hackman won his second Oscar for his portrayal of a menacing, crooked cop in Unforgiven. Freeman later admitted in 2017 that Hackman’s performance truly frightened him.
Despite the intense nature of filming Unforgiven, the two actors were eager to collaborate again. Their next project was the thriller Under Suspicion, where they went head-to-head once more.
Freeman reflected on filming Under Suspicion in an Instagram post, describing working with the “incredibly gifted” Hackman as “one of the personal highlights of my career.” He also shared in an interview, “Working with Gene was wonderful. I didn’t find it too hard working with an icon I so respected.”