Celebrity tributes poured in for legendary movie star Gene Hackman following news of the Oscar-winning performer’s death on Thursday. He was 95.
Francis Ford Coppola — who directed Hackman in the 1974 movie “The Conversation” — wrote on Instagram, “The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution.”
Morgan Freeman — who worked with the late star alongside Clint Eastwood in the memorable western “The Unforgiven” — said, “One of the personal highlights of my career was bringing the French Film Gardé a Vue (Under Suspicion) to life with the incredibly gifted Gene Hackman. And of course… Unforgiven. Rest in peace, my friend.”
Actor James Woods recalled getting to work with Hackman on Woods’ first movie called “Night Moves,” and said Gene took time to meet Woods’ mom and stepfather, saying he went “far beyond a polite hello,” spending “an hour chatting with them, genuinely interested in their lives.”
“That day was a model for me going forward. I have always prided myself on the way I treat fans, visitors, and friends,” he added. “And I thank Gene for it. As an actor he was without equal, and as a man, he was one of a kind. Rest in peace, sir.”
Eastwood shared in a statement to Variety, “There was no finer actor than Gene. Intense and instinctive. Never a false note. He was also a dear friend whom I will miss very much.”