Bill Murray Opens Up About Working With 'Tough Nut' Gene Hackman on Beloved Movie

In the wake of Gene Hackman's sudden death, Bill Murray fondly recalled working with the late actor in a heartfelt statement.

The Ghostbusters star described working with Hackman as a "tough nut" but a "great actor," in a video captured and shared by the Associated Press.

🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬

The two actors were both cast in the 2001 R-rated dramedy The Royal Tenenbaums, directed by Wes Anderson and starring Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Owen Wilson, Danny Glover, Luke Wilson, Anjelica Huston and Alec Baldwin.

"He was really good and he was really difficult," Murray, 74, explained. "Like, we can say it now, but he was a tough guy because older great actors do not give young directors much of a chance. They’re really rough on ’em."

"Gene was really rough on Wes," Murray shared, "and I used to kind of step in there and just try to defend my friend."

Related: Gene Hackman Was Once ‘Expelled’ From Acting School, Dustin Hoffman Recalls in Sweet Tribute

"I watched him once do like 25 takes where he did it perfectly, with an actor who kept blowing it every single time," the Caddyshack alum went on, "Gene would do it perfectly. The other actor would blow it. And I'd go, 'Oh god.' I was watching, going, 'No wonder this guy wants to throttle people.'"

"And then he sort of gave just a sort of ordinary performance and the other actor got it right and I thought Gene was gonna throw the guy off the ledge of the building," he recalled.

"He was a great one," Murray added, clearing his throat. "He was a great actor."

Related: Barbra Streisand Shares Resurfaced Photo With Gene Hackman as She Mourns the ‘Incredible Actor’

Murray is the latest in a long list of Hollywood icons that have paid tribute to Hackman following the news that he and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead at their New Mexico home on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

The investigation into the couple's "suspicious" deaths is ongoing, with investigators speaking out on Friday about a "very important piece of evidence" that was found at the scene. Law enforcement doesn't believe that Hackman and Arakawa's deaths are the result of "foul play," citing a "lack of evidence." Hackman's daughter previously suggested that she believes carbon monoxide poisoning could be the reason for their deaths, but police are still awaiting toxicology reports before ruling out any other circumstances.

"The autopsy is key," Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza told Today on Friday, Feb. 28. "That’s going to take some time, so I hope a little bit of patience on the family’s part, on everybody’s part, so we can have some answers into these deaths."

Next: Gene Hackman Was Once ‘Expelled’ From Acting School, Dustin Hoffman Recalls in Sweet Tribute