Academy Award-winning actor actor Gene Hackman, along with his wife Betsy Arakawa, and their family dog, were found dead in their New Mexico home.
“The cause of death has not been confirmed, but it is not believed to be foul play,” said Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Denise Womack-Avila. Deputies responded to a welfare check request at the home around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday and found Hackman, Arakawa, and a dog deceased, Womack-Avila said. An investigation is ongoing.
Born on January 30, 1930, in San Bernardino, California, Eugene Allen Hackman grew up in Danville, Illinois. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps at 16, serving for several years before pursuing an acting career. After studying at the Pasadena Playhouse, he moved to New York City, where he struggled initially but eventually found work in television and stage productions.
Hackman’s breakthrough came with his role as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He gained further recognition with The French Connection (1971), portraying tough New York detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle. His performance won him his first Academy Award for Best Actor and solidified his status as a Hollywood leading man.
Hackman went on to star in numerous critically acclaimed films, including:
- The Conversation (1974) – A psychological thriller directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
- Superman (1978) – As the iconic villain Lex Luthor, a role he reprised in sequels.
- Hoosiers (1986) – Playing a high school basketball coach in an inspiring sports drama.
- No Way Out (1987) – Action/thriller starring opposite Kevin Costner
- Mississippi Burning (1988) – A powerful civil rights-era crime drama.
- Unforgiven (1992) – A revisionist Western that won him his second Academy Award, this time for Best Supporting Actor.
- The Birdcage (1996) – The conservative future father-in-law opposite gay couple Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in the comedy farce.
Hackman’s last film role was in Welcome to Mooseport (2004), after which he retired from acting. Since then, he focused on writing historical and adventure novels.
The actor had three children, whom he shared with his late ex-wife, Faye Maltese, who died in 2017. Gene Hackman was 95.
Source: CNN