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Morgan Freeman gave tribute to two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman, four days after Hackman was found dead.
“This week our community lost a giant, and I lost a dear friend, Gene Hackman,” he said before the Oscars In Memoriam segment. “He received two Oscars and more importantly he won the hearts of film lovers all over the world.”
Freeman and Hackman co-starred in the 1992 Clint Eastwood Western “Unforgiven” – the movie that earned Hackman his second Oscar. They were also both in 2000’s “Under Suspicion.”
“Rest in peace, my friend,” Freeman said.
Freeman then introduced the In Memoriam segment, remembering lives lost over the last year.
Names highlighted in the segment included Gena Rowlands, Maggie Smith, filmmaker Jeff Baena, Bob Newhart, Kris Kristofferson, Teri Garr, Cheng Pei-Pei, John Amos, Bill Cobbs, Joan Plowright, Anouk Aimée, Donald Sutherland, Art Evans, songwriter Richard M. Sherman, Louis Gossett Jr., producer Jon Landau, Shelley Duvall, director David Lynch, James Earl Jones.
MORE | Stars share tributes to actor Gene Hackman after his death at 95
Hollywood stars are reacting to Gene Hackman’s death and sharing tributes to the storied actor.
Hackman, 95, and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, were mysteriously found dead alongside a dog in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home, authorities said.
The couple was found on Wednesday during a welfare check, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.
There were no obvious signs of how they died. However, their deaths were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation” due to all of the “circumstances surrounding” the scene, according to the search warrant affidavit.
MORE | Actor Gene Hackman, wife causes of death unknown, tested negative for carbon monoxide: officials
The causes of death for Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, are unknown, but they tested negative for carbon monoxide, officials said.
The Associated Press and Good Morning America contributed to this report.
It’s Oscar Sunday! The 97th Academy Awards on ABC, hosted by Conan O’Brien, is underway and will be followed by a special preview of “American Idol.”
Once all the awards have been handed out, it’s time to party! Watch “On the Red Carpet: After the Awards” to get a glimpse into the most star-studded parties of the night.
On Monday, it’s America’s best after party! “Live With Kelly and Mark: After the Oscars” is live from the Oscars stage at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood at 9 a.m.
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