Gene Hackman Mistakenly Mourned by Twitter After Article Proclaims Him "Gone"

Actor Dylan McDermott was among those who believed the star to be dead.

Fear not: Gene Hackman is just fine.

The legendary actor was prematurely mourned by a number of Twitter users following a confusing Grantland headline that read: "The Greatest Living American Actor at 85: Gene Hackman Is Gone But Still in Charge."

One tribute message came from actor Dylan McDermott, who tweeted, "Rest in Peace." The Stalker star later deleted the tweet and wrote about what he perceived to be a "hoax": "People have too much damn time on their hands."

Hackman's rep confirmed to ABC News that the two-time Oscar winner is indeed among the living. Meanwhile, Grantland has changed the wording of its headline from "gone" to "retired" and added an update to the story, clarifying that Hackman, who turns 85 on Friday, is "very much alive."

Hackman is hardly the only celeb to have been erroneously reported in the media as dead recently. Macaulay Culkin and Axl Rose were both victims of fake death rumors, while People.com posted a prepped obituary for the still-alive Kirk Douglas.

McDermott's tweet can be seen below.

I guess Gene Hackman's death was a celebrity hoax. People have too much damn time on their hands... — Dylan McDermott (@DylanMcDermott) January 28, 2015

Email: Ryan.Gajewski@pgmedia.org

Twitter: @_RyanGajewski