"This week, our community lost a giant and I lost a dear friend," said Freeman, who worked with Hackman in two films, including 1992's Unforgiven, which won Hackman his second Osc

"Gene always said, 'I don't think about legacy. I just hope people remember me as someone who tried to do good work,'" Freeman said of his 'Unforgiven' and 'Under Suspicion' co-star.

Gene Hackman was honored at the Oscars 2025 by friend Morgan Freeman, four days after he and wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead at their New Mexico home