Dustin Hoffman pays fiery tribute to Gene Hackman's unmatched genius

Dustin Hoffman recently reflected on the legacy of his long-time friend and fellow Oscar winner, Gene Hackman, following his sudden death.

Per Deadline, the 87-year-old actor, who acted with Hackman in Runaway Jury (2003), honoured him in a statement after the two-time Oscar winner died at 95.

Hoffman remembered his deceased pal as “a giant among actors” and compared him with Marlon Brando by calling him a “genius.”

The Tootsie star shared, “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.”

“And Gene was like Brando, in that he brought something unprecedented to our craft, something people didn’t immediately understand as genius,” he added.

“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,” Hoffman concluded, singing praises of the Superman star.

For the unversed, Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead at their residence in Santa Fe, New Mexico, along with one of their dogs on February 26, 2025.

Arakawa’s body was found with an open pill bottle and pills scattered around her, but the Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department said there was “no external trauma” and no involvement of foul play.

However, the cause of death is not yet known, and the department said the situation is “suspicious enough” to investigate further.

It is pertinent to mention that Hackman was married to Arakawa since 1991, and he is survived by his three children, Christopher, Elizabeth Jean, and Leslie Anne, from his previous marriage to Faye Maltese.