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Will Ferrell recalls intimidating Gene Hackman encounter
23 Jul
Summary
- Will Ferrell met Gene Hackman briefly on a film set.
- Ferrell found the legendary actor Gene Hackman intimidating.
- Hackman and his wife died in their Santa Fe home in 2025.
Will Ferrell recently recounted a memorable, albeit brief, meeting with the late Gene Hackman, whom he described as "very intimidating."
Ferrell, promoting his new Netflix show, visited the set of Wes Anderson's "The Royal Tenenbaums." He was there to have his hair touched up for his role in "Zoolander." During his visit, Ferrell encountered Hackman.
Hackman, a two-time Academy Award winner, reportedly asked Ferrell if he was involved in the film. Ferrell, who was not acting in "The Royal Tenenbaums," recalled the interaction as intimidating. His "Saturday Night Live" colleague Luke Wilson, who was also present, corroborated Ferrell's account of Hackman's sometimes tempestuous nature.
Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found deceased in their Santa Fe, New Mexico residence on February 26, 2025, following a welfare check. Investigations revealed Arakawa died from a rodent-borne hantavirus infection one week prior to Hackman's death from cardiovascular disease and advanced Alzheimer's. Their family issued a statement expressing their grief and remembering them fondly.
