Morgan Freeman paid an emotional tribute to Gene Hackman during the 2025 Oscars In Memoriam segment on Sunday – days after the icon’s death aged 95.

Freeman, 87, who starred alongside double Oscar winner Hackman in Under Suspicion and Unforgiven, lauded his friend and co-star as he took to the stage.

The bodies of Oscar-winner Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, were found partially mummified at their $3.3 million Santa Fe mansion, with pills strewn in their bathroom on Wednesday. Their causes of death remain a mystery.

Freeman said: ‘Well, this week, our community lost a giant, and I lost a dear friend, Gene Hackman. I had the pleasure of working alongside Gene on two films, Unforgiven and Under suspicion. 

‘And like everyone who ever shared a scene with him, I learned he was a generous performer, a man whose gifts elevated everyone’s work. He received two Oscars, but more importantly, he won the hearts of film lovers all over the world. 

‘Gene always said, “I don’t think about legacy. I just hope people remember me as someone who tried to do good work.” 

Morgan Freeman paid an emotional tribute to Gene Hackman during the 2025 Oscars In Memoriam segment on Sunday – days after the icon’s death aged 95

The bodies of Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, were found partially mummified at their Santa Fe mansion. Their causes of death remain a mystery.[Gene and Betsy in 2003]

‘I think I speak for us all when I say, Gene, you will be remembered for that, and so much more. Rest in peace, my friend.’

Freeman and Gene acted together in the 1992 classic film, which earned the late actor his second Oscar award. 

Eight years later, they once again joined forces on 2000 thriller, Under Suspicion — one if his final films before stepping away from Hollywood in 2004.

David Lynch, Maggie Smith, Donald Sutherland, Shelley Duvall, Gena Rowlings, James Earl Jones, Dick Pope, Jeff Baena, Bob Newhart, Kris Kristofferson, M Emmet Walsh, Robert Towne, Joan Plowright and Teri Garr were also honored.

However Michelle Trachtenberg, who died last week aged 39 shortly after undergoing a liver transplant, was not a part of the segment, leading to mᴀss outrage online. 

The bodies of the actor and his wife was reportedly found with bloating on their face and signs of mummification in their limbs, with pills strewn nearby. One of their three dogs, a German Shepherd, was also found deceased while the other two were roaming around the property.

According to an official’s search warrant, ‘the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.’ 

On Friday, Santa Fe officials claimed that data from Gene’s pacemaker indicated its last recorded activity was on February 17, leading investigators to believe that was the date of his pᴀssing. 

While toxicology reports are still pending, the medical examiner confirmed that both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide exposure. The local Sheriff’s Department has said they do not believe foul play is involved. 

The French Connection star, who had a net worth of approximately $80M, spent the last two decades away from the spotlight. After retiring from the industry in 2004, he left Hollywood behind, trading the glamour of the City of Angels for a peaceful life in New Mexico — where he had lived until his pᴀssing.

During a now eerie interview with CNN in 2004, the late actor confessed that he was afraid of ever loosing his life as he wanted to be a provider for his family.

Freeman and Gene acted together in the 1992 classic film, Unforgiven – which won Hackman his second Oscar

Freeman, 87, who starred alongside double Oscar winner Hackman in Under Suspicion and Unforgiven, lauded his friend and co-star as he took to the stage

The In Memoriam segment began with a tribute to the star

Hackman’s longtime friend and Unforgiven co-star Clint Eastwood paid tribute to the actor last week following his shock death aged 95 – pictured at the 1993 Oscars

‘I try to take care of myself,’ he told the outlet at the time. ‘I don’t have a lot of fears, I have the normal fear of pᴀssing away.

‘I guess we all think about that, especially when you get to be a certain age. I want to make sure that my wife and my family are taken care of. Other than that, I don’t have a lot of fears.’

The Superman actor had three children from a previous marriage, Christopher Allen, 65 and Elizabeth Jean, 63, as well as Leslie Anne, 58. 

According to an official’s search warrant, ‘the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.’ 

Read MoreEXCLUSIVE Gene Hackman and his wife’s New Mexico neighbors reminisce on his final years in the community

On Friday, Santa Fe officials claimed that data from Gene’s pacemaker indicated its last recorded activity was on February 17, leading investigators to believe that was the date of his pᴀssing. 

While toxicology reports are still pending, the medical examiner confirmed that both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide exposure. The local Sheriff’s Department has said they do not believe foul play is involved. 

The French Connection star, who had a net worth of approximately $80M, spent the last two decades away from the spotlight. After retiring from the industry in 2004, he left Hollywood behind, trading the glamour of the City of Angels for a peaceful life in New Mexico — where he had lived until his pᴀssing.

During a now eerie interview with CNN in 2004, the late actor confessed that he was afraid of ever loosing his life as he wanted to be a provider for his family.

‘I try to take care of myself,’ he told the outlet at the time. ‘I don’t have a lot of fears, I have the normal fear of pᴀssing away.

‘I guess we all think about that, especially when you get to be a certain age. I want to make sure that my wife and my family are taken care of. Other than that, I don’t have a lot of fears.’

Gene seen with wife Betsy and his two daughters Leslie and Elizabeth in October 1996

The Superman actor had three children from a previous marriage, Christopher Allen, 65 and Elizabeth Jean, 63, as well as Leslie Anne, 58. 

The 97th Academy Awards are honoring the best films of 2024, with the star-studded ceremony being held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Conan O’Brien, 61, is making his debut as Oscars host, after joking: ‘I only agreed to host so that I could get invited.’

This year’s ceremony has an unusually unsettled field in many of the most high-profile categories, including best picture and most of the acting categories.

Emilia Pérez leads the nominations this year with 13, including for best picture, actress (for Karla Sofía Gascón), supporting actress (for Zoe Saldaña), director (for Jacques Audiard), adapted screenplay and original song.

Gascón stars as the тιтle character, a former Mexican drug lord who comes out as a transgender woman and fakes her own death in order to reinvent herself as a pro-social force, while Saldaña plays an ethically challenged lawyer who helps set up her new idenтιтy.

The Brutalist landed in second place with 10 nominations, including for best picture, director (for Brady Corbet), actor (for Adrien Brody), supporting actor (for Guy Pearce), supporting actress (for Felicity Jones), and original screenplay.

Emilia Pérez leads this year’s Oscar nominees with 13 nominations, including for best picture, actress (for Karla Sofía Gascón), supporting actress (for Zoe Saldaña) and director

The Brutalist landed in second place with 10 nominations, including for best picture, director (for Brady Corbet), actor (for Adrien Brody), supporting actor (for Guy Pearce), supporting actress (for Felicity Jones), and original screenplay

Oscar winners 2025 full list – see who received honors for this year’s Academy Awards

 Best Picture

Anora – WINNER

The Brutalist 

A Complete Unknown 

Conclave 

Dune: Part Two 

Emilia Pérez 

I’m Still Here 

Nickel Boys 

The Substance 

Wicked

Emilia Pérez leads this year’s Oscar nominees with 13, including for best picture, actress, supporting actress and director

Best Director 

Jacques Audiard — Emilia Pérez

Sean Baker — Anora – WINNER

Brady Corbet — The Brutalist

Coralie Fargeat — The Substance

James Mangold — A Complete Unknown

Actress in a Leading Role

Cynthia Erivo — Wicked 

Karla Sofía Gascón — Emilia Pérez

Mikey Madison — Anora – WINNER

Demi Moore — The Substance 

Fernanda Torres — I’m Still Here 

The Substance has been nominated for numerous Oscars, including Best Actress for Demi Moore 

 

Actor in a Leading Role

Adrien Brody — The Brutalist – WINNER

Timothée Chalamet — A Complete Unknown 

Colman Domingo — Sing Sing 

Ralph Fiennes — Conclave 

Sebastian Stan — The Apprentice

The Brutalist came in second place with 10 nods, including for best picture, actor (Adrien Brody), supporting actor (Guy Peare) and supporting actress (Felicity Jones)

 

Actress in a Supporting Role

Monica Barbaro — A Complete Unknown 

Ariana Grande — Wicked 

Felicity Jones — The Brutalist 

Isabella Rossellini — Conclave 

Zoe Saldaña — Emilia Pérez – WINNER

Actor in a Supporting Role

Yura Borisov — Anora 

Kieran Culkin — A Real Pain – WINNER

Edward Norton — A Complete Unknown 

Guy Pearce — The Brutalist 

Jeremy Strong — The Apprentice 

Animated Feature Film

Flow – WINNER

Inside Out 2

Memoir of a Snail 

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

Cinematography

The Brutalist — Lol Crawley – WINNER

Dune: Part Two — Greig Fraser

Emilia Pérez — Paul Guilhaume 

Maria — Ed Lachman 

Nosferatu — Jarin Blaschke

Original Screenplay

Anora — Sean Baker – WINNER

The Brutalist — Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold 

A Real Pain — Jesse Eisenberg

September 5 — Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum; co-Written by Alex David

The Substance — Coralie Fargeat

Adapted Screenplay

A Complete Unknown —  James Mangold and Jay Cocks 

Conclave — Peter Straughan – WINNER

Emilia Pérez — Jacques Audiard with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi

Nickel Boys — RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes

Sing Sing — Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar; Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield

Achievement in Production Design

The Brutalist 

Conclave 

Dune: Part Two 

Nosferatu 

Wicked – Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales – WINNER

Achievement in Sound

A Complete Unknown

Dune: Part Two – WINNER

Emilia Pérez 

Wicked 

The Wild Robot

Original Song 

El Mal – Emilia Pérez – Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard – WINNER

The Journey – The Six Triple Eight

Like A Bird – Sing Sing

Mi Camino – Emilia Pérez

Never Too Late – Elton John: Never Too Late

Original Score  

The Brutalist — Daniel Blumberg – WINNER

Conclave — Volker Bertelmann

Emilia Pérez — Clément Ducol and Camille 

Wicked — John Powell and Stephen Schwartz

The Wild Robot — Kris Bowers

Live-Action Short Film

A Lien 

Anuja 

I’m Not a Robot – WINNER

The Last Ranger 

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

Animated Short Film

Beautiful Men

In the Shadow of the Cypress – WINNER

Magic Candies

Wander to Wonder

Yuck!

Documentary Feature Film

Black Box Diaries

No Other Land – WINNER

Porcelain War 

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat 

Sugarcane

Flow is nominated for both International Feature Film and Animated Feature Film

Documentary Short Film

Death by Numbers 

I Am Ready, Warden

Incident 

Instruments of a Beating Heart 

The Only Girl in the Orchestra – WINNER

International Feature Film

I’m Still Here (Brazil) – WINNER

The Girl With the Needle (Denmark)

Emilia Pérez (France) 

The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)

Flow (Latvia) 

Kieran Culkin has dominated the supporting actor categories in recent weeks for Jesse Eisenberg’s drama A Real Pain

Makeup and Hairstyling

A Different Man

Emilia Pérez 

Nosferatu

The Substance – Pierre Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, and Marilyne Scarselli – WINNER

Wicked 

 

Achievement in Costume Design

A Complete Unknown — Arianne Phillips

Conclave — Lisy Christl

Gladiator II — Janty Yates and Dave Crossman 

Nosferatu — Linda Muir

Wicked — Paul Tazewell – WINNER

 

Achievement in Film Editing

Anora — Sean Baker – WINNER

The Brutalist — David Jancso

Conclave — Nick Emerson 

Emilia Pérez — Juliette Welfling

Wicked — Myron Kerstein 

Anora is nominated for several Oscars, including best picture, actress, supporting actor, director, screenplay and editing

Visual Effects

Alien: Romulus

Better Man

Dune: Part Two  – WINNER

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Wicked