Photos: The Last Time Gene Hackman and His Wife Were Seen in Public

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Photos of the last time Academy Award-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were seen in public surfaced Thursday following news of their deaths.

Santa Fe, New Mexico, law enforcement officials found the couple, along with their dog, dead in their home during a wellness check on Wednesday afternoon. The cause of their death is still under investigation, but facts released by Santa Fe Sheriff Adan Mendoza would seemingly rule out carbon monoxide poisoning or a gas leak, which some had speculated at first.

Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 64, were in separate rooms, and two of their other dogs were alive. Further, the fire department and the gas company had confirmed it was safe to enter, seemingly ruling out carbon monoxide or a gas leak, at least by the time the wellness check was conducted.

Fox News reported that prescription pills were scattered on the bathroom floor where Arakawa was located.

The last time the two had been seen in public together was March 28, 2024, at the Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to TMZ.

Do you enjoy Gene Hackman’s movies?

Yes: 98% (41 Votes)

No: 2% (1 Votes)

The New York Post obtained images of the couple’s restaurant outing, noting, “Hackman wore khaki cargo pants, trail shoes and a zip-up vest atop a check shirt. He completed his casual look with a beige cap and a pair of sunglasses. Arakawa, for her part, wore a patterned shirt with a pair of blue jeans and brown suede boots.”

The outlet pointed out it was the first time the couple had been seen in public together in 21 years. The last time was at the Golden Globes in 2003 when Hackman received the Cecil B. DeMille Award, a special award given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.”

A tearful Hackman told his audience of fellow entertainers, “I never wanted to be anything but an actor. George Scott had a line in [the movie] ‘Patton’ that I think is appropriate. ‘God help me, I love it.'” Scott playing World War II Gen. George Patton was referring to being a leader in combat.

He recalled how he would take the street car into his Illinois hometown to go watch double features and be transported to places like the ocean depths or Africa or the Santa Fe Trail, watching actors such as John Wayne, Ray Milland, Errol Flynn, or James Cagney, his favorite.

Hackman’s last role was in the 2004 film “Welcome to Mooseport,” a comedy in which he played opposite Ray Romano.

“Hackman confirmed his retirement in an interview years later during a press round to promote his third novel, ‘Escape From Andersonville,’ in 2008,” the Post reported.

“I haven’t held a press conference to announce retirement, but yes, I’m not going to act any longer,” Hackman said.

He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1972 for “The French Connection” and Best Supporting Actor in 1993 for “Unforgiven.”

Some of Hackman’s other memorable roles were in “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Young Frankenstein,” as well as comic book villain Lex Luthor in “Superman” and the title character in Wes Anderson’s 2001 “The Royal Tenenbaums.”

For many sports fans, Hackman’s turn as Coach Norman Dale in the 1986 film “Hoosiers” is a favorite.

The Associated Press reported, “When not on film locations, Hackman enjoyed painting, stunt flying, stock car racing and deep sea diving. In his latter years, he wrote novels and lived on his ranch in Santa Fe, on a hilltop looking out on the Colorado Rockies, a view he preferred to his films that popped up on television.”

“I’ll watch maybe five minutes of it,” he once told Time magazine, “and I’ll get this icky feeling, and I turn the channel.”

Contributing Journalist

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

Randy DeSoto has written more than 3,000 articles for The Western Journal since he began with the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."

Birthplace

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Nationality

American

Honors/Awards

Graduated dean's list from West Point

Education

United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law

Books Written

We Hold These Truths

Professional Memberships

Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars

Location

Phoenix, Arizona

Languages Spoken

English

Topics of Expertise

Politics, Entertainment, Faith

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