Morgan Freeman leads tribute to 'dear friend' Gene Hackman at the Oscars

Ahead of the In Memoriam segment, Freeman said 'this week our community lost a giant and I lost a dear friend'

Morgan Freeman paid tribute to Gene Hackman (Chris Pizzello/AP)

Oscar winner Morgan Freeman paid tribute to actor Gene Hackman saying he was a “generous performer” who had “won the hearts of film lovers around the world”.

Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead, along with one of their dogs, at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on February 26.