Gene Hackman and wife. Credit / Getty Images
Before Gene Hackman was found dead alongside his wife and dog in their New Mexico home, the Oscar-winning actor – Lex Luthor to Christopher Reeves’ Superman – shared a sweet detail about his love story with Betsy Arakawa, who he married in 1991.

Hollywood is in mourning one of its most revered legends, Gene Hackman, the two-time Academy Award-winning actor, who was found dead February 26 alongside his beloved wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their pet dog in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home.

According to AP News, around 1:45 p.m., police were doing a welfare check on the couple when deputies discovered the bodies of Hackman, 95, Arakawa, 63, and their pup, in the “large Southwestern-style ranch in a gated community” where they lived.

Happy couple
In the mid 1980s, the star of Unforgiven met a young Arakawa, who was working part-time at a California gym in the mid-1980s, the New York Times reported in 1989.

Despite the 30-year age difference, the pair formed an unbreakable bond and after marrying in 1991, Hackman and Arakawa – a classically trained pianist from Hawaii – moved into the home on the picturesque Old Sunset Trail overlooking the Rocky Mountains.

The French Connection star “was often seen around town in his first few decades in the city,” writes the New Mexican, adding that “he rarely went out publicly in his last years.”

Together, Hackman and Arakawa slipped into seclusion, while the actor stepped away from the cameras.

Retirement
In 2008, Hackman spoke with Reuters and admitted that he’s retired but didn’t want to make an official announcement.

“I haven’t held a press conference to announce retirement, but yes, I’m not going to act any longer. I’ve been told not to say that over the last few years, in case some real wonderful part comes up, but I really don’t want to do it any longer.”

Revealing that acting was “very stressful, the Bridge Too Far actor – who became a novelist – admitted that he did “miss the actual acting part of it.”

Credit / Shutterstock
“It’s what I did for almost 60 years, and I really loved that. But the business for me is very stressful. The compromises that you have to make in films are just part of the beast, and it had gotten to a point where I just didn’t feel like I wanted to do it anymore,” he told Reuters.

But the stress was too much for his aging heart.

“The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York,” Hackman told Empire. “The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”

Rarely seen
And, unlike many other celebrities, Hackman’s retirement actually lasted.

Reclusive Gene Hackman, 94, and wife Betsy Arakawa, 62, spotted in first public outing together in decades https://t.co/BQeQX2eo2c pic.twitter.com/c3lhKD5glB

— New York Post (@nypost) March 29, 2024

Aside from infrequent appearances at awards shows, Hackman – whose last film was 2004’s Welcome to Mooseport with comedian Ray Romano – was seldom seen in the Hollywood social circuit.

After retirement, he was so rarely seen that sightings of Hackman became a big deal.

In 2023 the New York Post published a story, saying the actor was “spotted fueling up for physical labor at a local Wendy’s, where he ordered a meal at the drive-thru.”

According to the publication, the star “chowed down on his chicken sandwich in the fast-food franchise’s parking lot” before returning to do yard work at his Santa Fe ranch.

Treasured tradition
In his rare 2009 interview with Empire, the Hollywood icon shared a glimpse of the life quietly shared with his wife.

Speaking of the most treasured Friday night traditions with his wife, Hackman said he enjoyed “DVDs that my wife rents; we like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce.”

The couple would spend the evening laughing together, often enjoying performances by comedian Eddie Izzard. Hackman admired Izzard’s quick wit, once calling her “amazing” and praising her “speed of thought.”

Authorities confirmed there was “no immediate indication of foul play,” and a cause of death has not yet been released.

Hackman leaves behind three children from a previous marriage.

Gene Hackman’s legacy in Hollywood is undeniable, but his greatest role was the one he played in his personal life – a loving husband, a devoted partner, and a man who found joy in life’s simple pleasures.

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