Oscar winner Gene Hackman and wife found dead in Santa Fe home

Two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their home in Santa Fe Summit, Santa Fe, New Mexico on Wednesday afternoon.

According to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza, the couple and their dog were found deceased, with no indication of foul play. Mendoza did not provide a cause of death, nor elaborate on when the couple might have passed.

Hackman and Arakawa had been married since 1991. The former had celebrated his 95th birthday in late January, but a public sighting last year drew concern form some fans over how frail he appeared.

Hackman spent four amazing decades in Hollywood forming a stellar body of work. The actor and author retired from his career in front of the cameras quietly in the late 2000s. He did so after hinting in a 2004 Larry King interview that he had no productions lined up for the future.

All told, the actor featured in over 70 films over the course of his career. He won multiple awards, including the coveted Oscar for Best Actor in The French Connection as well as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Little Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven.

In 2009, Hackman shared that the reason behind his taking a step away from the bright lights of Hollywood was a stress test which alarmed his doctors.

“The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York,” he 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.”

Following his retirement, Hackman turned his attentions to less-stressful endeavors including painting, fishing and writing.

Of writing, he said: “It’s very relaxing for me. I don’t picture myself as a great writer, but I really enjoy the process.”

“It’s one you can kind of manage, because you’re sitting there by yourself, as opposed to having 90 people sitting around waiting for you to entertain them,” he added.

Hackman is survived by his three children, Christopher, Elizabeth Jean and Leslie Anne, with his late ex-wife, Faye Maltese.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the legendary Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa.

Related Posts

Former Grey’s Anatomy co-star makes bombshell allegation against Eric Dane after his death

Eric Dane became a huge star on Grey’s Anatomy. The actress, who passed away last week after battling ALS, has been praised by many. However, now, a…

Chinese Olympic star Eileen Gu fires back at JD Vance after he criticized her for not representing U.S.

Vice President JD Vance has criticized American athletes for speaking out on political issues during the Olympics. He also questioned Eileen Gu’s choice to compete for China…

AI reveals who would win the US presidential election if Trump ran against Obama in 2028

Donald Trump has kept the door open to running for president in 2028, although the Constitution and its 22nd Amendment clearly prohibit it. Following that, a hypothetical…

Team USA women’s hockey team refuse White House invite following Trump’s controversial remark

Donald Trump celebrated the US men’s Olympic hockey team for winning the gold against Canada on Sunday. While talking to the players after the game, he made…

Former Prince Andrew’s angry 11-word outburst after being arrested – insider reveals

The arrest of former senior royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, previously known as Prince Andrew, drew massive attention last week. Now, new details have surfaced about what the royal…

First pictures and name emerge after Mar-a-Lago gunman shot dead by Secret Service

A 21-year-old man was shot to death after entering Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, carrying a shotgun and a gasoline canister. Now, the man has been identified. An armed…