June Squibb Talks "Teddy Bear" Costar Philip Seymour Hoffman's Tragic Death: "I Was Devastated"

Academy Award nominee also opened up about her Oscar dress

Count June Squibb among the many famous faces who were devastated by Philip Seymour Hoffman's untimely death. 

The 84-year-old Oscar nominee opened up about the actor's tragic passing while attending AARP's 13th annual Movies for Grownups Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel last night, where she took a moment to honor the late star's legacy while expressing her sorrow over the legendary thesp the film world lost. 

Squibb and Hoffman costarred together in the 1992 film Scent of a Woman, which marked the Capote star's first big studio project. 

"He was wonderful, you could see that this was going to be an exceptional actor, working with him then," the Nebraska star, who is nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting role for her performance in the Alexander Payne-directed flick, gushed to E! News. 

"And we had a scene together and he and I ended up improvising together and I always thought he was sort of a teddy bear," she continued. "He was burly…but he had a full body." 

Hoffman was found dead in his New York City apartment on Feb. 2 with a needle in his arm after an apparent drug overdose. He was 46. 

"I was devastated by what has happened," Squibb said with a somber tone. "And I keep thinking of his family and who he was as a man and also what we're not going to be able to see. I mean as an actress that is so important to me, someone working the way he did."

While Hollywood undoubtedly lost one legend too soon, Squibb is still bringing her talents to the big screen and will be vying for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar next month against Hollywood heavyweights such as Blue Jasmine's Sally Hawkins, American Hustle's Jennifer Lawrence, 12 Years a Slave's Lupita Nyong'o and August: Osage County's Julia Roberts. 

And despite the stiff competition, Squibb could not be more excited. 

"Oh, I feel great. I really do," she gushed. "I'm very excited about it, I'm very excited that they've chosen my performance as one that they're honoring, so you can't do that much better than that if you're an actress. That's the epitome of a good clap!" 

As for her Oscar gown? 

"Tadashi Shoji did my Golden Globes and SAG dress and he is making my Oscar dress from the bottom up for me," June revealed with a giant smile. 

And when asked if she's going to be the belle of the ball, the nominee humbly replied, "Well, I don't know about that, but I am so thrilled and I have seen his sketch. It's going to be green and the material is unbelievable. It's going have a black sort of outlining on the top," she shared, adding that it's going to have a "very" romantic and glamorous feel.

And come March 2, win or lose, Squibb's son, who was present when the nominations were announced, will surely lend his mother some kind words of support. 

"Well, my son and I were together [for the nominations] and he came over and put his arm around me and I'm sure he was saying, ‘Whatever happens I still love you' and I saw my picture and I heard my name and yet I said, ‘Harry did they say my name' and he said, ‘Yes mom they did you've done it' and then we cried." 

Too cute. Good luck, June!