Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Francis Ford Coppola, ‘Superman' Costar Valerie Perrine And More Pay Tribute To Gene Hackman
The news that actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa have been found dead at their home in Santa Fe has shocked the industry and led to widespread tributes for one of the true greats of cinema.
Clint Eastwood, who directed and starred with Hackman in 1992's Unforgiven, said in a statement to Deadline: '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.'
More from Deadline
'Suspicious Enough': Gene Hackman & Wife's Deaths Probed By Cops; Scattered Pills Found, No Gas Leak
Gene Hackman & Wife Betsy Arakawa Found Dead In Santa Fe Home
Henry Kelly Dies: Broadcaster & 'Going For Gold' Presenter Was 78
Valerie Perrine, who appeared with Hackman in 1978's Superman starring Christopher Reeve, wrote on Facebook, 'The great Gene Hackman has passed away. He was a genius & 1 of the greatest to grace the silver screen. I had the honor of working with Him on Superman. His performances are legendary. His talent will be missed. Goodbye my sweet Lex. Till we meet again.'
The 95-year-old Hackman won Oscars for The French Connection (1971) and Unforgiven (1992), and was also Oscar-nominated for roles in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), I Never Sang for My Father (1970), and Mississippi Burning (1988).
Tom Hanks paid tribute to Hackman's unique style:
Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Hackman in 1974 classic The Conversation, posted 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.'
Actor George Takei called Hackman 'one of the true giants': 'We have lost one of the true giants of the screen. Gene Hackman could play anyone, and you could feel a whole life behind it. He could be everyone and no one, a towering presence or an everyday Joe. That's how powerful an actor he was. He will be missed, but his work will live on forever.'
Baby Driver director Edgar Wright simply described Hackman as 'the greatest…' in a post to X.
European film and TV studio Studiocanal wrote on social media: 'What a colossal loss for cinema today. Hugely saddened by the passing of one of the true greats – Gene Hackman. We send our deepest condolences.'
Presenter Piers Morgan said on social media: 'Gene Hackman was one of the all-time great actors and brilliant in everything he ever did from French Connection and Unforgiven to Mississippi Burning, The Conversation and Superman. We've lost a giant of the big screen.'
In a post on X, BAFTA said it was 'saddened' to hear of the death of the three-time BAFTA winner and noted his 'illustrious' career.
Irish comedian and TV presenter Dara Ó Briain posted to X: 'Ah, Gene Hackman. The finest screen actor ever, I think. Not a single duff performance, in a long, long career. And the best delivery ever of a single word: when he says 'Cigars!' In Young Frankenstein.'
Oscar nominee and Dune: Part 2 star Josh Brolin posted a photo of Hackman and Arakawa and captioned it: 'I am crushed by the sudden deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa (and their dog). Crushed. He was always one of my favorites. Not many who beat to their own drums like he did. Rest in Peace.'
In a post on Instagram, Oscar winner Viola Davis wrote about how much she 'loved' Hackman in his films: 'Loved you in everything! The Conversation, The French Connection, The Poseidon Adventure, Unforgiven—tough yet vulnerable. You were one of the greats. God bless those who loved you. Rest well, sir. ❤️❤️❤️'
Oscar nominee and Paddington In Peru star Antonio Banderas sent his condolences to 'friends, family and cinema lovers' on Instagram and X: 'A very sad day for the cinema's family. Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa have passed away. My deepest condolences to friends, family and cinema lovers. RIP.'
Best of Deadline
How To Watch The 2025 Oscars Online And On TV
How Jon Gries' Return To 'The White Lotus' Could Shape Season 3
Which Colleen Hoover Books Are Becoming Movies? 'Verity,' 'Reminders Of Him' & 'Regretting You' Will Join 'It Ends With Us'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
22 minutes ago
- USA Today
Todd Chrisley breaks social media silence after 2 years: Here's what he said
Todd Chrisley breaks social media silence after 2 years: Here's what he said Show Caption Hide Caption Todd Chrisley speaks after Trump pardon, release from prison Reality TV star Todd Chrisley made his first public statement after he and his wife Julie received a pardon from President Donald Trump. Todd Chrisley has broken his social media silence for the first time since he went to prison for bank fraud and tax evasion. On June 12, the 56-year-old "Chrisley Knows Best" star took to Instagram to celebrate one of his children's achievements. Youngest son Grayson Chrisley, 19, made the dean's list after his first semester at the University of Alabama. "God is good all the time, @graysonchrisley," Todd captioned his post. "I love you to the moon and back and we couldn't be more proud, you have shown great character and fortitude and stood with your lord and savior amidst the fire and came out the other side never smelling of smoke, you are proof of (God's) word." The caption continued, "Stand tall, stand true and stand for your fellow brothers in Christ. I love you Gray Gray." More than 14,000 undergraduate students who earned a GPA of at least 3.5 made UA's dean's list in the spring semester; those who earn a 4.0 end up on the president's list. Fall semester enrollment totaled around 34,000 students, with spring enrollment numbers not yet released. Where does Grayson Chrisley go to college? Older sister Savannah Chrisley, 27, announced Grayson was moving to college in January. She shared clips from move-in day, captioning the post, "And just like that… my baby brother is off to college. Moving Grayson into the University of Alabama this weekend has been one of the hardest and most beautiful moments of my life. The past two years, Gray had every reason to give up, but instead, he showed up for himself and for the people he loves." Savannah continued, "We've never been apart… ever. And my heart feels like it's shattered into a million pieces. But my overwhelming sadness is matched only by the pride I feel watching him chase his dreams." What happened to Julie and Todd Chrisley? Todd's post came more than two weeks after he was released from FPC Pensacola in Florida, where he'd served more than two years of his nine-year prison sentence, following a full pardon from President Trump. When asked during a May 30 press conference whether he had any remorse for the crimes for which he was convicted, Todd said, "I'd have remorse if it was something that I did." In June 2022, Todd and wife Julie Chrisley, who portrayed themselves as real estate tycoons in the South on their USA Network shows, were found guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks in Atlanta out of more than $36 million. The pair was accused of running a scheme that, through fraudulent loans, defrauded the IRS and committed tax evasion. Julie Chrisley was additionally convicted of obstruction of justice and wire fraud. Trump pardons reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley President Trump called Savannah Chrisley from the Oval Office in the White House to tell her he wanted to pardon her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley. Todd Chrisley was initially sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Julie Chrisley received a seven-year sentence, and both reported to their respective federal prisons in January 2023. On May 27, Trump called the Chrisleys' middle daughter, Savannah Chrisley, to let her know her parents were "going to be free and clean, and I hope we can do it by tomorrow." When Savannah took the podium at the May 30 press conference, she announced that the "Chrisley Knows Best" stars would be returning to reality television. Filming has apparently already begun on a new show that will document the reunification of Todd and Julie Chrisley.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Beyoncé wows on Night 4 in London: Sweet twin tribute, mute challenge win, new outfits
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is still setting ablaze London, charging ahead with her fourth fiery concert there on her "Cowboy Carter" tour. The Grammy-winning singer kicked off her June 12 show at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium around 7:39 p.m. The show marked her fourth of six shows at the stadium on her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour. She is set to hit the stage again June 14 and 16, before heading to Paris for three nights. 'Thank you for your support for almost 30 years now,' Beyoncé said as she opened the show. 'We're gonna have us a good time.' Beyoncé began the evening with a new look, featuring furry cream-colored chaps, a white cowboy hat, matching gloves and shades. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arionce 🤍 (@ The new looks didn't stop there. During her "Alliigator Tears" performance, Beyoncé debuted another new outfit as she donned a long furry long coat, a cowboy hat and knee-high boots. View this post on Instagram A post shared by livie 𐚁 (@ One fan wrote, "A new Alligator tears look yet again oh she loves London." Of course, the night was made extra special when she took time to celebrate her twins, Sir and Rumi Carter. They turn 8 on June 13. She told the crowd to say happy birthday to Rumi, who was onstage, and to her twin brother, Sir. Later Beyoncé acknowledged all the Geminis in the crowd, saying, "I'm happy y'all are celebrating with us tonight.' The excitement didn't slow throughout the night. She continued to bring back fan favorites from her 2022 album "Renaissance." Of course that meant the beloved "mute challenge" too. After it, she told the crowd, "OK, London! Y'all definitely won tonight." BEYONCÉ PROCLAIMS LONDON N4 AS THE WINNERS OF THE MUTE CHALLENGE OH GET UP😭😭😭 — 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘆🫧💚 (@beyoncegarden) June 12, 2025 As fans know, Beyoncé first debuted her "Cowboy Carter" tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 with 39 songs on the set list. Her shows have been filled with family, fashion, different music genres, and most notably country music and cultural commentary. The nine-city tour will span the U.S. and Europe with the grand finale taking place in Las Vegas on July 26. Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Beyoncé's fourth London show: Twin tribute, mute win, more highlights
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Celebrities Are Taking A Stand Against Trump's Immigration Crackdown
This article includes material from HuffPost's weekly culture and entertainment newsletter, The Culture Catchall. Click here to subscribe. Anti-ICE protesters in Los Angeles are still on the ground pushing back against the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies and extreme show of military force. But they aren't the only ones speaking out. This week, celebrities broke their silence on the federal immigration raids where hundreds of immigrants have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. On Tuesday, Kim Kardashian posted a statement on her Instagram story reacting to the national outcry, writing: 'When we're told that ICE exists to keep our country safe and remove violent criminals — great. But when we witness innocent, hardworking people being ripped from their families in inhumane ways, we have to speak up. We have to do what's right.' The reality star, a longtime resident of LA, continued to tell her millions of followers how she has witnessed firsthand 'how deeply immigrants are woven into the fabric of this city,' noting that they're 'our neighbors, friends, classmates, co-workers and family.' 'No matter where you fall politically,' she added, without naming Trump, 'it's clear that our communities thrive because of the contributions of immigrants. We can't turn a blind eye when fear and injustice keep people from living their lives freely and safely.' 'There HAS to be a BETTER way,' Kardashian concluded. The Skims founder has largely stayed out of politics over the years, aside from visiting the White House in 2018 to discuss prison reform with Trump. But her new comments caught some heat this week from one Department of Homeland Security official, Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, who made it clear in an X post that she didn't care for the beauty mogul's stance. Some social media users criticized Kardashian's 'performative' post, while others appreciated her for using her platform at the height of Trump's immigration crackdown. And she's not the only celebrity who has spoken out. On Monday, live from the BET Awards in LA, Doechii went viral after she used her acceptance speech for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist to call out the administration's 'ruthless attacks' on people who are 'being swept up and torn from their families,' all to stir up fear and chaos in communities across the city. 'Trump is using military forces to stop a protest. And I want y'all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic rights to protest, the military is deployed against us,' said the rap star. 'I feel it's my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people,' she added. 'For Black people, for Latino people, for trans people, for the people of Gaza, we all deserve to live in hope and not in fear, and I hope we stand together, my brothers and my sisters, against hate. And we protest against it.' Kardashian also shared Doechii's speech on her Instagram stories. Eva Longoria also joined the wave when she took to social media to slam the 'inhumane,' 'hard to watch' and 'un-American' mass deportations that have caused dayslong protests in parts of LA. 'We all can agree, nobody wants criminals in our country, nobody wants rapists, nobody wants drug dealers, nobody wants bad actors in our country. That's not what's happening,' she said in an Instagram video. 'These roundups are happening in birthday parties, in elementary school graduations, Home Depot. Those are not criminals.' 'I hope that everyone has more compassion for this issue and realizes we have industries dependent on immigrant labor,' she added. 'These are people who feed us and take care of us and take care of our families and our children and our communities, and we can't deny them as humans. We just can't.' The Hollywood actor concluded the clip by reminding her followers why people are protesting, because 'parents and mothers are being separated from young children.' In her caption, she also linked to several organizations to support, including the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Immigrant Defenders Law Center and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. Other celebs have since condemned the immigration raids, too, including Tyler, the Creator, Reneé Rapp and Finneas, according to Euro News. Pedro Pascal, Mark Ruffalo and John Leguizamo also posted on their Instagram pages. The LA protests first broke out last Friday after ICE agents conducted a series of immigration sweeps across Southern California, ABC News reported. Protesters clashed with ICE as they arrested multiple individuals. Local police in riot gear then confronted folks with batons and tear gas. By Saturday, ICE reported that it had arrested 118 immigrants in the LA area as it tried to enforce immigration law. Since then, the Trump administration has deployed over 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to combat the growing protests in the city, which currently has an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew in place for the downtown LA area. Several political figures have blasted Trump's military response, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who in a primetime address Tuesday warned that the president's continued 'assault' on democracy is just the start of what could spread across the country. 'Look, this isn't just about protests here in Los Angeles,' Newsom said. 'When Donald Trump sought blanket authority to commandeer the National Guard, he made that order apply to every state. This is about all of us. California may be first, but it clearly will not end here.' 'Other states are next. Democracy is next,' he added. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told Forbes that she blamed federal immigration raids for starting civil unrest in the city, also accusing the administration of deliberately trying to spark chaos by federalizing troops. As rallies against Trump's anti-immigration policies spread nationwide, protesters continue to assert their First Amendment rights in hopes of checking Trump's abuse of power. How, and if, that will end, only time can tell. Subscribe to The Culture Catchall to stay up to date on all things entertainment. California Rep: 'We Don't Want ICE In Our Community. We Want You Out.' Gov. Greg Abbott Deploys National Guard On Texas Anti-ICE Protests There's Growing Anger Over Flags Flown At LA Protests. Here's What Everyone Is Getting Wrong.
