Gene Hackman's daughters and Clint Eastwood lead tributes to star

Gene Hackman's daughters and granddaughter accidental they are "devastated" and volition "miss him sorely", arsenic they led tributes to the movie prima who has died aged 95.

Hackman was recovered dormant on with his woman Betsy Arakawa and their canine astatine his location successful New Mexico, US. No origin of decease was given, but police said the concern was "suspicious enough" to merit investigation.

In a statement, daughters Elizabeth and Leslie, and granddaughter Annie said: "He was loved and admired by millions astir the satellite for his superb acting career, but to america helium was ever conscionable dada and grandpa."

Morgan Freeman who co-starred with Hackman successful the 1992 movie Unforgiven - for which Hackman won an Oscar - described the histrion arsenic "incredibly gifted" portion the movie's manager Clint Eastwood said helium was "extremely saddened" by the news.

Ralph Fiennes - nominated for an Oscar this twelvemonth for Conclave - paid tribute to the precocious histrion with a achromatic and achromatic representation of a smiling Hackman, simply titled Gene Hackman 1930-2025.

Viola Davis called Hackman "one of the greats" portion Tom Hanks posted connected Instagram that: "There has ne'er been a 'Gene Hackman Type.' There has lone been Gene Hackman."

The Prince of Wales also issued a connection saying helium was "so bittersweet to perceive the news".

"Hackman was a existent genius of movie who brought each and each quality to beingness with power, authenticity and prima quality," added Prince William, who is besides president of Bafta.

• Gene Hackman and woman Betsy Arakawa recovered dormant astatine their home
• Obituary: One of Hollywood's top 'tough guys'

Hackman's 1978 Superman co-star Valerie Perrine labelled him "a genius", portion the Guardian's movie professional said his decease "marks the end" of the epoch of American caller question cinema.

The Godfather manager Francis Ford Coppola, who worked with Hackman connected the 1974 enigma thriller The Conversation, called Hackman "a large artist".

In a connection posted connected Instagram, Coppola said: "Gene Hackman a large actor, inspiring and magnificent successful his enactment and complexity.

"I mourn his loss, and observe his beingness and contribution."

Hackman, who won 2 Oscars for his enactment connected The French Connection and Clint Eastwood's Western Unforgiven, played much than 100 roles crossed his career.

They included supervillain Lex Luthor successful the Christopher Reeve-starring Superman movies successful the 1970s and 1980s.

Perrine, who acted other Hackman arsenic his character's on-screen woman Eve Teschmacher, described the precocious histrion arsenic "a genius" and 1 of the "greatest to grace the metallic screen".

She posted connected X: "His performances are legendary. His endowment volition beryllium missed. Goodbye my saccharine Lex Till we conscionable again."

Hackman appeared alongside Hollywood heavyweights including Al Pacino successful 1973's Scarecrow, Gene Wilder successful 1974's Young Frankenstein and Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton successful 1981's Reds.

He besides starred successful the deed movies Runaway Jury and Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums.

The British Academy of Film and Television, said it was "saddened" to perceive of Hackman's death, describing him arsenic a "much-celebrated" histrion with an "illustrious" career.

Spanish histrion Antonio Banderas described it arsenic being "a precise bittersweet time for the cinema's family".

Hank Azaria, the histrion champion known for voicing characters successful The Simpsons, said "it was an honour and an acquisition moving with Gene Hackman" connected 1996's The Birdcage.

"Mike Nichols said of his genius quality acting: 'He ever brought conscionable capable of a antithetic portion of the existent cistron to each relation helium played.' Sending each my emotion to his household and friends.

Star Trek histrion George Takei posted: "We person mislaid 1 of the existent giants of the screen.

"Gene Hackman could play anyone, and you could consciousness a full beingness down it," helium wrote.

"He could beryllium everyone and no-one, a towering beingness oregon an mundane Joe. That's however almighty an histrion helium was. He volition beryllium missed, but his enactment volition unrecorded connected forever."

Slumdog Millionaire prima Anil Kapoor besides called Hackman a "genius" performer. "A existent fable whose bequest volition unrecorded on," he wrote.

As good arsenic his Oscar wins, Hackman besides collected 2 Baftas, 4 Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

The Guardian's movie professional Pete Bradshaw wrote that Hackman's decease "marks the extremity of 1 of the top periods of US cinema: the American caller wave."

"Hackman was the golden modular for this era, ever since Warren Beatty gave him his large interruption with the relation of Buck Barrow successful Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde (1967)," said Bradshaw.

"He was the quality histrion who was truly a star; successful information the prima of each country helium was successful – that tough, wised-up, intelligent but unhandsome look perpetually connected the verge of coolly unconcerned derision, oregon creased successful a heartbreakingly fatherly, pained smile."

Adding: "He wasn't gorgeous similar [Robert] Redford oregon dangerously sexy similar [Jack] Nicholson, oregon adjacent puckish similar [Dustin] Hoffman; Hackman was normal, but his normality was steroidally supercharged."

The professional branded his show "as the reckless, racist cop", 'Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle, successful William Friedkin's 1971 movie The French Connection arsenic "unmissable".