Clint Eastwood paid tribute to his friend and co-star Gene Hackman in an emotional statement to Variety on Thursday after the actor was found dead at his home in Santa Fe, N.M. Eastwood said Hackman was a “dear friend” whom he would “miss very much.” Retiring as an actor in 2004 after winning two Oscars, Hackman starred alongside Eastwood in the 1992 Western Unforgiven. The film was directed by Eastwood, who commended Hackman’s acting ability, stating, “There was no finer actor than Gene. Intense and instinctive. Never a false note.” The role of Sheriff “Little Bill” Daggett in Unforgiven won Hackman his second Oscar in the Supporting Actor category at the 1993 Oscars. Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in separate rooms of their house with the front door left open and pills scattered on the floor in a scene police have labeled “suspicious.” Celebrity tributes have poured in, including from Morgan Freeman, who also starred in Unforgiven. He called working with Hackman one of the “personal highlights” of his career in an Instagram post.
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