Yesterday, we reported that the two-time Oscar winning star Gene Hackman had been found dead at the age of 95 in his Santa Fe mansion along with his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64.
Many of Hackman’s friends and colleagues from over the years have spoken out to honor him, including the great Gary Sinise.
Sinise, Clint Eastwood, And More Honor Hackman
Sinise, 69, and Hackman starred together in the underrated modern classic, The Quick And The Dead. This was a career highlight for Sinise, who described Hackman as being one of his “favorite” actors “of all time.”
Judging from the responses we’ve seen (and our own personal opinions), Sinise is far from alone.
“Gene was an amazing human being and an amazing actor,” Sinise told Fox News. “I’m very saddened by what’s happened.”
“Getting to spend time with him was a true honor and privilege,” he added.
Meanwhile, Clint Eastwood, who directed Hackman in his second Oscar-winning role in the 1992 movie Unforgiven, honored Hackman in the wake of his death as well.
“There was no finer actor than Gene,” Eastwood, 94, told Variety. “Intense and instinctive. Never a false note. He was also a dear friend whom I will miss very much.”
Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Hackman in the 1974 thriller The Conversation, also had words of praise for Hackman after his passing.
“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,” Coppola, 85, wrote on Instagram.
Related: Gene Hackman, 95, And Wife Found ‘Mummified’ – Police Say Deaths Are ‘Suspicious’
More Stars Weigh In
Hollywood’s most famous directors weren’t the only ones to honor Hackman after his death. Indeed, his fellow actors paid tribute to him as well.
“Gene Hackman was my favorite actor, as I think I told him every day we worked together on The Birdcage,” said the Emmy Award-winning star Nathan Lane, 69. “Getting to watch him up close it was easy to see why he was one of our greatest. You could never catch him acting. Simple and true, thoughtful and soulful, with just a hint of danger.”
“He was as brilliant in comedy as he was in drama and thankfully, his film legacy will live on forever,” he continued. “It was a tremendous privilege to get to share the screen with him and remains one of my fondest memories. Rest in peace, Mr. Hackman.”
“Marine. Actor. Legend. Gene Hackman could do it all. He stands alone on the mountain with Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson,” added Luke Wilson, 53. He starred with Hackman in the 2001 movie The Royal Tenenbaums.
Hackman’s Death
Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, who he’d been married to since 1991, were found dead in their Santa Fe mansion on Wednesday afternoon. The couple had reportedly been passed for some time. Their bodies were discovered by two maintenance workers who told police that they hadn’t seen the couple in two weeks.
Find out more about this in the video below.
The specific causes of deaths for Hackman and Arakawa have not been released at this time. Please join us in saying a prayer for their loved ones during this difficult time
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