Latest news with #RunawayJury
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dustin Hoffman Remembers Gene Hackman: ‘A Giant Among Actors'
Dustin Hoffman paid tribute to Gene Hackman, his former roommate and co-star, following the actor's death at 95. In a statement shared with Deadline, Hoffman recalled first meeting Hackman while both were attending acting school in California. 'I met Gene in acting school, at the Pasadena Playhouse, when he was 27 and I was 19,' Hoffman said. 'We used to play congas together on the roof, trying to be like our hero Marlon Brando. And Gene was like Brando, in that he brought something unprecedented to our craft, something people didn't immediately understand as genius: He was expelled from our school after three months for 'not having talent.' It was the first time they ever did that. He was that good. Powerful, subtle, brilliant. A giant among actors. I miss him already.' More from Rolling Stone Gene Hackman's Second Chapter: What to Know About His Career as a Novelist Gene Hackman: Details Emerge in 'Suspicious' Deaths of Actor and Wife Was Gene Hackman a Great American Actor - or the Greatest American Actor? Prior to retiring from acting, Hackman co-starred with Hoffman in 2003 film Runaway Jury, an adaptation of the John Grisham novel of the same name. It marked the pair's first onscreen collaboration despite their many years of knowing each other, including once being roommates in New York City. 'I slept on his floor because he had this small bedroom,' Hoffman said while doing press for Runaway Jury. 'He had this little teeny bit larger room where there was the stove with a board over it where you would use to dry dishes. Next to the stove was a tub which was also the sink and it had a board over it. So, I would have to take a bath while they were making breakfast, and there was also a toilet next to the bath, and all he's thinking about is that when I had to have my morning bathroom, I didn't care whether they were making eggs or not. He's held that against me for forty years.' He added that the pair almost collaborated on The Graduate, but Hoffman was fired from the film. 'The first time that we would have worked together would've been The Graduate,' Hoffman shared in 2003. 'Gene was cast as Mr. Robinson and we were in the third week of rehearsal, we rehearsed for three weeks and it was at Paramount. Gene and I are in the Paramount bathroom, and I think, in my memory, about six urinals separate us and he looks over at me as he's taking a leak, saying, 'I'm going to get fired,' and I said, 'What are you talking about?' He said, 'I'm getting fired today, I can feel it,' and he did, and that opened his career up because Warren Beatty said, 'He's not doing it?' And he put him in Bonnie and Clyde.' Hackman, his wife of 34 years, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on Wednesday. In a statement, Santa Fe County sheriff's deputies added that 'the bodies of Mr. Hackman and his wife were located in separate rooms' and that a cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Medical Investigator. According to the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office, the couple's deaths were ruled 'suspicious,' but 'the official results of the autopsy and toxicology reports are pending.' 'It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy,' Hackman's family said in a statement. 'He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.' Multiple actors and filmmakers have paid tribute to Hackman in the wake of his death, including Clint Eastwood, Francis Ford Coppola, and Viola Davis. Coppola, who directed Hackman in 1974's noir thriller The Conversation, shared 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.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Best 'Saturday Night Live' Characters of All Time Denzel Washington's Movies Ranked, From Worst to Best 70 Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dustin Hoffman Compares 'Genius' Gene Hackman To Marlon Brando: 'A Giant Among Actors'
After more than 60 years in Hollywood, Gene Hackman has left an indelible mark on his fans and peers alike. Dustin Hoffman, who starred with Hackman in the 2003 feature adaptation of John Grisham's Runaway Jury, paid tribute to his longtime friend in a heartfelt statement after the 2x Oscar winner died at age 95. More from Deadline Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Francis Ford Coppola, 'Superman' Costar Valerie Perrine And More Pay Tribute To Gene Hackman Gene Hackman & Wife Betsy Arakawa Found Dead In Santa Fe Home Mel Brooks Recalls Gene Hackman's "Perfect" 'Young Frankenstein' Performance: "I Was Over The Moon" 'I met Gene in acting school, at the Pasadena Playhouse, when he was 27 and I was 19. We used to play congas together on the roof, trying to be like our hero Marlon Brando,' he said. 'And Gene was like Brando, in that he brought something unprecedented to our craft, something people didn't immediately understand as genius,' added Hoffman. 'He was expelled from our school after three months for 'not having talent.' It was the first time they ever did that. He was that good. Powerful, subtle, brilliant. A giant among actors. I miss him already.' On Thursday, Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead at their Santa Fe, NM home, along with one of their dogs. Arakawa's body was discovered with an open pill bottle and pills scattered next to her. Although no foul play is expected and the couple suffered 'no external trauma,' a cause and manner of death have not yet been determined, but Santa Fe Sheriff's Department said the circumstances are 'suspicious enough' to warrant further investigation. Hackman, who was married to Arakawa since 1991, is survived by three children, Christopher, Elizabeth Jean and Leslie Anne, with late ex-wife, Maltese. Best of Deadline 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries 2024 Hollywood & Media Deaths: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Remembering Shelley Duvall: A Career In Photos
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Late Oscar winner Gene Hackman remembered as 'inspiring and magnificent'
Feb. 27 (UPI) -- The world woke up Thursday to news that two-time Oscar-winner Gene Hackman has died, along with his wife Betsy Arakawa and dog, at their home in New Mexico. The circumstances of their deaths have not been disclosed, but foul play is not suspected. The film industry was quick to react on social media, mourning the loss of the beloved 95-year-old star, whose dozens of credits include Runaway Jury, The Royal Tenenbaums, Get Shorty, Mississippi Burning, Hoosiers, The Birdcage, Superman and Bonnie and Clyde. He retired from acting after 2004's Welcome to Mooseport. Director Francis Ford Coppola 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." "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," actor Josh Brolin said on Instagram. "Gene Hackman -- what a life! So strong and such presence in every role. We salute you. You made a deep mark on the world of cinema. Now sleep well," entertainer Eddie Izzard posted on X. "We have lost one of the true giants of the screen," actor George Takei wrote on X. "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." "We are saddened to hear that the much-celebrated actor Gene Hackman has died aged 95," said the official BAFTA X account. "Hackman's illustrious career spanned over six decades and earned him BAFTA wins for his work in Unforgiven, The French Connection and The Poseidon Adventure."
