'True genius': Prince William pays tribute to Hollywood actor Gene Hackman following death at 95

The Prince of Wales has shared a rare, personal tribute to Hollywood actor Gene Hackman, describing him as a "true genius."

Prince William took to X, formerly Twitter, overnight in the UK to comment on the passing of the acting icon, who was found dead at his home in the US. He was 95.

Hackman's body, along with that of his wife of more than 30 years, Betsy Arakawa, 63, and one of their dogs, was found in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, by a maintenance worker who raised the alarm with police.

Watch the video above.

READ MORE: Tributes flow in for Gene Hackman after he and wife found dead

Hours after news broke that Hackman had died, William shared a post by The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs), of which he is president, and added his own tribute.

"So sad to hear the news of the death of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy," William wrote.

"Hackman was a true genius of film who brought each and every character to life with power, authenticity and star quality."

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He signed off the post with a 'W' for William.

He also shared the BAFTAs post, which said, "We are saddened to hear that the much-celebrated actor Gene Hackman has died aged 95.

"Hackman's illustrious career spanned over six decades and earned him BAFTA wins for his work in Unforgiven, The French Connection and The Poseidon Adventure."

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William has been president of the BAFTAs, often called the British Oscars, since 2010, and regularly attends the annual awards night in London, often with Catherine by his side.

The couple attended the 2023 award show together, while William attended last year's event alone as Catherine was recovering from abdominal surgery.

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They were expected at this year's event on February 17.

However, just days before the star-studded night, it was announced they would not be attending.

William instead made a cameo appearance in a video package that was played at the award show.

It was later revealed the couple had opted to skip the night so they could take their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, six, on a private holiday during their school break.

According to multiple media reports, the family flew via commercial jet to Saint Lucia before catching another plane to the exclusive Caribbean island of Mustique, which has been a regular holiday spot for the couple and her extended family.

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