Bill Murray remembers 'brilliant' co-star Gene Hackman after his death at 95: 'I suffered with him'

Gene Hackman, known for his role in 'The Royal Tenenbaums,' was found dead at his Santa Fe home alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa and their pet dog
UPDATED MAR 1, 2025
Bill Murray recalled working with Gene Hackman on 'The Royal Tenenbaums' (Getty Images)
Bill Murray recalled working with Gene Hackman on 'The Royal Tenenbaums' (Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Bill Murray is reflecting on his experience of working with Gene Hackman, describing his former co-star as a "brilliant" and "really good" actor.

Hackman, best known for his role in 'The Royal Tenenbaums,' was found dead at his Santa Fe home on February 26 at the age of 95, alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their pet dog.


 
 
 
 
 
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Bill Murray says Gene Hackman  was 'really, really good'

Bill Murray, who starred alongside Gene Hackman in Wes Anderson’s 2001 family dramedy, recalled their time on set and the challenges Hackman faced while working with the young director and an unconventional cast.



 

Murray paid tribute to Hackman on 'The Drew Barrymore Show,' recalling the actor’s Golden Globe-winning performance in 'The Royal Tenenbaums.'

"It's a kind of a funny day today because, today, Gene Hackman passed away, who was the star of The Royal Tenenbaums, and he won a Golden Globe for it — although he didn't show up," Murray said in a clip from the show.

"But he was really good. The guy was really, really good," he added.

Bill Murray at the 46th Life Achievement Award Gala on June 7, 2018, in Hollywood, California. (Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Rich Fury)
Bill Murray at the 46th Life Achievement Award Gala on June 7, 2018, in Hollywood, California (Rich Fury/Getty Images)

Murray reflected on Hackman’s perspective of Anderson, saying, "I sympathize with Gene because, to him, Wes Anderson was just a punk kid, and Gene's made some of the greatest American movies."

Bill Murray recalls Gene Hackman’s challenges on set

Bill Murray shared that Gene Hackman found aspects of filming difficult, particularly working with children, animals, and the late actor Kumar Pallana.

"So he was a little irritable. But he had to work with children, dogs, [actor] Kumar [Pallana] — who was an absolute mystery to all of us anyway," Murray said.

Gene Hackman during Runaway Jury Press Conference with Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, John Cusack and Rachel Weisz at Wyndham Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. (Photo by Vera Anderson/WireImage)
Gene Hackman during Runaway Jury Press Conference with Dustin Hoffman, John Cusack, and Rachel Weisz at Wyndham Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana (Vera Anderson/WireImage)

"They put him in very challenging positions to work, and so he just felt a lot of responsibility and kept thinking, 'What am I doing here with these people?'" he added.

Despite the challenges, Murray praised Hackman's performance, calling it "brilliant."

He added, "I watched him and I suffered with him, because I saw what he was going through. But his timing, his patterns, his rhythms were really, really advanced. He was very, very good."

Murray ended his tribute with a heartfelt farewell, "So goodbye, Gene. I hope you're well wherever you are."

Bill Murray calls Gene Hackman a 'tough nut'

In a separate interview with the Associated Press, Bill Murray described Gene Hackman as a "tough nut" who was difficult to work with but respected his talent.

"He was really difficult, we can say it now, but he was a tough guy," Murray said.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 19:  Actor Gene Hackman poses backstage with his Cecil B. Demille award
Gene Hackman poses backstage with his Cecil B. deMille award during the 60th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 19, 2003, in Beverly Hills, California (Getty Images)

"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," he added.

Murray recalled a particularly grueling moment on set when Hackman had to redo a scene multiple times due to another actor’s mistakes.

"I once watched Hackman do like 25 takes where he did it perfectly with an actor who kept blowing it every single time," Murray said.

Bill Murray attends the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California.
Bill Murray attends the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022, in Hollywood, California (Getty Images)

"I was watching going, 'No wonder this guy wants to throttle people.' And then he gave an ordinary performance and the other actor got it right, and I thought Gene was gonna throw the guy off the ledge of the building," he said, as per Entertainment Weekly.

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