Clint Eastwood shares emotional tribute to Gene Hackman: “There was no finer actor than Gene”
Following the death of beloved actor Gene Hackman, Clint Eastwood has given a tribute to his former friend and co-star.
Hackman was found in his home with his wife, Betsy Awakawa, both of whom had passed away along with their dog. The actor was 95 and Awakawa was 63.
When talking about the fallen actor, Eastwood touched on how he hardly ever saw a bad performance out of him, telling 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.”
Eastwood and Hackman had first begun acting opposite each other when starring in The Unforgiven. Eastwood would also get the opportunity to direct and act alongside Hackman again when putting together 1997’s Absolute Power.
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Despite it being heralded as one of Eastwood and Hackman’s greatest films, many of Eastwood’s screenwriter friends had initially talked about getting rid of the film as fast as they could before going forward with the project. It would then go on to win the Academy Award for ‘Best Picture’, with Eastwood and Hackman also walking away with an Oscar for ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Supporting Actor,’ respectively.
As of yet, much is unknown in the case of Hackman’s death. Authorities were first called to Hackman’s residence due to a concerned neighbour calling. After finding both Hackman and his wife deceased in Santa Fe, there was initially no foul play suspected. However, a search warrant affidavit released later declared the case to be suspicious.
At the scene, a search team discovered a bottle of pills scattered next to Hackman’s wife and Hackman being found in a completely different part of the house. While the family has suspected that they died from carbon monoxide poisoning, the statement read that there were “no obvious signs of a gas leak.”
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