Hollywood Actor Gene Hackman & Wife Found Dead at Home - Slay News
Oscar-winning Hollywood actor Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and their dog have been found dead in their home.
Hackman was 95, and Arakawa was 63 when they died on Wednesday.
Police confirmed early on Thursday morning that the bodies were discovered in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home.
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office said there are no signs of foul play, according to local media reports.
In a statement, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said:
“All I can say is that we’re in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant.”
Police have not revealed a cause of death but shared extra details about the tragic discovery.
“On February 26, 2025, at approximately 1.45 pm, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park where Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, and a dog were found deceased,” a police statement said.
Police say there are no signs of foul play
Hackman was last spotted with his wife in 2024, just weeks after his 94th birthday.
Cops have not revealed the acting legend’s cause of death but
Police also said an “active investigation” has been launched into the couple’s shocking death.
Tributes to Gene and Betsy pour in from fellow Hollywood stars.
The couple had been married since 1991.
Hackman, born in California in 1930, served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years from the age of 16.
He was discharged in 1951, but a year later, his mother died in a house fire.
Hackman’s breakout moment was in “Bonnie and Clyde” in 1967, where he played Buck Barrow.
However, he was perhaps best known for starring in the “Superman” movies and hit films like “Mississippi Burning” and “Unforgiven.”
He played the supervillain Lex Luthor in “Superman,” “Superman II,” and “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.”
Hackman also starred in the hit movies “Runaway Jury,” “The French Connection,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” and “The Conversation.”
In 1972, he won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in “The French Connection.”
He appeared in the movie’s sequel in 1975.
In 1993, Hackman won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in the Western movie “Unforgiven.”
Hackman played Little Bill Daggett in the film that also starred Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Anna Thomson.
“Unforgiven” scooped four Oscars, including Best Picture.
Hackman appeared in four Westerns during the 1990s.
The others were: Geronimo: “An American Legend,” “Wyatt Earp,” and “The Quick and the Dead.”
His last film appearance was in “Welcome to Mooseport” in 2004, where he played Monroe Cole.
Hackman starred alongside Ray Romano in the movie that revolved around a former US president running to be mayor in his local town.
His glittering Hollywood career included more than 100 acting roles.
He received five Academy Award nominations, winning two Oscars.
He won two BAFTA nominations and three Golden Globes.
Hackman was nominated for eight Golden Globe awards during his career.
During his long career, Hackman also appeared on stage.
Hackman’s last Broadway appearance came in 1992 when he played Roberto Miranda in the play “Death and the Maiden.”
When he quit acting, it was feared that the decision was linked to stress.
He admitted he struggled to balance family life with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
Hackman wasn’t just a film star; he starred in TV series such as “Brenner” and “The F.B.I.”
But after his final role, he left the bright lights of Hollywood and moved to New Mexico.
He was rarely spotted and liked to enjoy Wendy’s drive-thru meals.
In his later years, he suffered from minor health problems.
In 2012, Hackman was struck by a car while riding his bike.
He was rushed to a Miami hospital with serious injuries.
“Gene’s fine,” his agent Susan Madore said at the time as she downplayed any fears.
“Just a few bumps and bruises.”
The incident happened eight years after his final movie role and just weeks before he turned 82.
The film legend wasn’t often seen in public during his final years but was snapped at a New Mexico fuel station in 2023.
He was sporting a casual look, wearing a baseball cap and blue jeans.
A year later, Hackman and Betsy were seen grabbing some food at the restaurant Pappadeaux’s in Santa Fe.
The appearance came after he had marked his 94th birthday.
Hackman also spent his final years writing novels, and two of his own were published in 2011 and 2013.
Floods of messages from fellow Hollywood stars have poured in to remember the acting legend and his special career.
American actor George Takei said Gene’s work “will live on forever”.
“We have lost one of the true giants of the screen. Gene Hackman could play anyone, and you could feel a whole life behind it,” Takei said.
“He could be everyone and no one, a towering presence or an everyday Joe.
“That’s how powerful an actor he was.”
We have lost one of the true giants of the screen. Gene Hackman could play anyone, and you could feel a whole life behind it. He could be everyone and no one, a towering presence or an everyday Joe. That’s how powerful an actor he was. He will be missed, but his work will live on… pic.twitter.com/OfmXVCG0jt
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) February 27, 2025
The great filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, who worked with Gene in the 1974 film “The Conversation,” remembered him as a “great actor.”
“The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity,” Coppola said.
“I mourn his loss and celebrate his existence and contribution.”
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