Kevin Costner Gets Emotional Reflecting on Gene Hackman: “My Favorite Actor”
An Untouchable Legacy: Kevin Costner Honors Gene Hackman in Emotional Resurfaced Interview
A powerful interview moment in which Kevin Costner chokes up while recalling a touching exchange with Gene Hackman has resurfaced following news of the legendary actor’s mysterious death.
Gene Hackman, 95, was found dead on Wednesday at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, alongside his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, 65, and one of their three dogs. Authorities believe the couple may have been deceased for over a week before their bodies were discovered by a maintenance worker. The cause of death is still under investigation.
As tributes continue to pour in, a 2017 interview clip of Costner speaking with sportscaster Rich Eisen has gone viral—shedding light on the deep respect and admiration Costner held for Hackman, his co-star in the 1987 political thriller No Way Out.
“I would say probably Gene was the best actor that I’ve ever worked with,” Costner says in the video. “People ask all the time, ‘Who’s the best actor? Who’s the biggest star?’ The list is long—but Gene stands out.”
In the clip, Costner shares a pivotal on-set memory from No Way Out, where a creative disagreement with director Roger Donaldson turned into an unexpected and meaningful moment between him and Hackman.
Costner described his frustration during filming, with every scene taking place around a desk. “I finally said to the director, ‘I don’t feel like it’s right,’” he recalled, noting that Hackman stood silently nearby, observing.
When Costner insisted on changing the blocking, telling the director, “It’s here. I don’t care, it’s here,” Hackman remained quiet. Donaldson hesitated, questioning what Hackman would do if the scene was altered. Costner confidently replied, “Gene will figure it out—because he’s really good.” The director relented, and the scene was ultimately filmed the way Costner envisioned. That version made it into the final cut.
Later that day, Costner was leaving the MGM lot when Hackman approached him. Expecting a rebuke for challenging the director, he was instead met with unexpected praise.
“He said, ‘Hey, you know I went through a divorce recently, I’ve been doing a lot of questionable movies lately. But watching you fight for what you believed in today reminded me of how I used to feel about acting,’” Costner recalled, visibly emotional. “‘It was good what you did.’ And then he just got into his car and drove away.”
Costner posted the resurfaced clip to Instagram, calling Hackman his “favorite actor” and reflecting on how meaningful the moment was to him—not just as an actor, but as a man.
“Gene Hackman was my favorite actor, and I was lucky enough to work with him more than once,” he wrote. “Sharing a story that I told years ago with @richeisen—a moment with Gene that showed me that his generosity and vulnerability ran even deeper than his well of talent. This moment was probably small for him, but really huge for me.”
“My heart is with Gene, his wife, and his family today,” Costner added. “I’m lucky to have gotten to learn from him in this life.”
