Francis Ford Coppola Leads Tributes To “Inspiring & Magnificent” Gene Hackman: “I Mourn His Loss, And Celebrate His Existence”
deadline.comThe 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.
The 95-year-old Hollywood legend 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).
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.” A post shared by Francis Ford Coppola (@francisfordcoppola) Actor George Takei called Hackman “one of the true giants”: “We have lost one of the true giants of the screen.
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