"Gene always said, 'I don't think about legacy. I just hope people remember me as someone who tried to do good work,'" Freeman said of his 'Unforgiven' and 'Under Suspicion' co-star.

As in past years, the In Memoriam segment of Sunday’s Oscar telecast quickly became controversial because of the stars who were left out of the montage, notably ‘Gossip Girl’

Morgan Freeman opened the segment with a heartfelt speech about Gene Hackman, with whom he costarred in Unforgiven and Under Suspicion. "Like everyone who's ever shared a scene with him, I learned he was a generous performer and a man who elevated everyone's work,