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These days, there are few reasons why Morgan Freeman will make a public appearance – but paying tribute to his friend Gene Hackman is one of them.
Introducing the annual In Memoriam segment at the 2025 Oscars ceremony, Freeman – who starred alongside Hackman in Unforgiven and Under Suspicion – paid special homage to the actor, who was found dead this week at the age of 95.
“This week, our community lost a giant. And I lost a dear friend, Gene Hackman,” the 87-year-old said as he became visibly emotional.
Although Freeman kept his hands clasped behind his back for much of his TV appearance, viewers at home noticed that the actor walked on wearing a singular black glove on his left hand.
This sartorial choice is nothing new for Freeman, however, who has been wearing a glove on his left hand for several years due to a health issue.
The Se7en star previously told Esquire magazine that he suffers from fibromyalgia stemming from nerve damage he sustained during a 2008 car accident, which left his hand paralysed.
The condition causes pain “up and down the arm”, he said. “That’s where it gets so bad. Excruciating.”
Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that can cause pain all over the body. The exact cause is unknown, but it’s thought to be related to abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain and changes in the way the central nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and nerves) processes pain messages carried around the body.
In many cases, the condition appears to be triggered by events that are physical or emotional such as an injury, an infection or stress, according to the NHS.
There is currently no cure for fibromyalgia, but the NHS cites lifestyle changes, talking therapies, and exercise as ways to relieve symptoms.
In 2010, Freeman spoke about wearing a compression glove as well in order to keep the blood flowing.
“I suffered nerve damage and it hasn’t gotten better. I can’t move it,” Freeman told People magazine. “If you don’t move your hand, it will swell up. Do you know you move your hand about a million times a day?”
Freeman wore an elbow length glove when he presented at the 2023 Oscars alongside Margot Robbie, and also in his recent role in Paramount+’s series Special Ops: Lioness.
The 2008 car accident that caused Freeman’s nerve damage was serious. The actor’s car flipped multiple times on a Mississippi highway.
“They had to use the jaws of life [hydraulic cutters] to extract him from the vehicle,” reported The Guardian.
“He was lucid, conscious. He was talking, joking with some of the rescue workers at one point.
Paying tribute to Hackman at the 2025 Oscars, Freeman said on stage: “I had the pleasure of working alongside Gene on two films, Unforgiven and Under Suspicion. Like everyone who ever shared a scene with him, I learnt he was a generous performer and a man whose gifts elevated everyone’s work.
“Gene always said, ‘I don’t think about legacy. I just hope people remember me as someone who tried to do good work,’” Freeman continued. “I think I speak for us all when I say, ‘Gene, you will be remembered for that, and so much more.’ Rest in peace, my friend.”
Hackman was found dead at his home in Sante Fe, alongside the body of his wife, classical musician Betsy Arakawa. The circumstances of their deaths are yet to be determined, with the latest information suggesting that Hackman may have died as early as 17 February.
Also included in the In Memoriam segment were the filmmaker David Lynch, and actors such as Maggie Smith, Donald Sutherland, Shelley Duvall, Gena Rowlings, James Earl Jones, and Teri Garr.
Elsewhere on the red carpet, Isabella Rossellini also paid tribute to Lynch in her own subtle way.
Notably omitted from the segment, however, was Michelle Trachtenberg who died on February 26 at the age of 39, from the slideshow. The Ice Princess lead death was ruled “undetermined” by New York City’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner on February 28.
You can catch up with all the latest Oscars news here.
