Nancy Travis. Jason Mendez/Getty Images
Nancy Travis reflected on how inspired she was by former costar Gene Hackman after his death.
During an exclusive interview for an upcoming issue of Us Weekly, Travis, 63, recalled sharing the screen with Hackman.
“Given the fact that Gene Hackman has just passed away, I did [want to note that] I worked with him in a movie called Loose Cannons,” she noted. “I just remember marveling while acting opposite him and thinking, ‘He’s not doing anything. This is one of the greatest actors of our time and nothing’s happening.’”
Travis left the set with a new appreciation for his subtle but powerful performance, adding, “What a journey I went on to learn about acting, because he’s amazing. He was amazing [just] by virtue of the fact that he does it all internally, and it’s his relationship with the camera. He was amazing.”
Stars across the world are mourning the death of Oscar winner Gene Hackman. The Sante Fe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Us Weekly on Thursday, February 27, that Hackman, his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were found dead at their home in Sante Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday, February 26. “On February 26, 2025, […]
Us confirmed on Thursday, February 27, that Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead at their home in Sante Fe, New Mexico. Hackman rose to stardom for his roles in movies such as The French Connection and Unforgiven, earning two Oscars and widespread acclaim throughout his career.
“I never think of myself [as a star],” Hackman told Larry King during an interview in 2004. “I never had the aspirations to be a star. I wanted to be an actor. A movie actor, a theater actor, that’s all I ever wanted to do.”
After Hackman’s death, tributes poured in from Hollywood.
Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Hackman in 1974’s The Conversation, wrote, “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.”
Meanwhile, George Takei noted that “we have lost one of the true giants of the screen,” adding, “Gene Hackman could play anyone, and you could feel a whole life behind it. He could be everyone and no one, a towering presence or an everyday Joe. That’s how powerful an actor he was. He will be missed, but his work will live on forever.”
Oscar winner Gene Hackman has died at the age of 95. Hackman, his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday, February 26. Arakawa was 63. A cause of death is not yet known, though foul play is not suspected, a spokesperson for the […]
Bill Murray praised Hackman while discussing their time working together on Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums. “He was a tough nut, Gene Hackman. But he was really good,” Murray told the Associated Press. “And he was really difficult, we can say it now, but he was a tough guy. Older, great actors do not give young directors much of a chance. They’re really rough on them, and Gene was really rough on Wes. I used to kind of step in there and just try to defend my friend.”
Murray, 74, noted how Hackman would nail a take “25 times” while another other actor in the scene would blow it “every single” time.
“I was watching it going, ‘No wonder this guy wants to throttle people,’” he continued. “And then he sort of gave an ordinary performance and the other actor got it right and I thought Gene was going to throw the actor off the ledge of the building. So, he was a great one. He was a great actor.”
