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Gene Hackmanhas died. The legendary actor and two-time Oscar winner was a screen staple for decades, and left an enduring mark as one of the faces of 1970s Hollywood. He and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, who has also passed, have been married since 1991.
According to the Sante Fe County Sheriff’s Office (viaAP), deputies found Hackman, Arakawa, and a dog dead inside their New Mexico home during a welfare check on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 26. In a statement, the authorities said there’s no immediate suspicion of foul play, but no cause of death has been officially determined and an investigation is ongoing.
UPDATE: 2025-08-18 6:02 EST BY ALEXANDER HARRISON
Hackman & Arakawa’s Deaths Deemed Suspicious After Early Investigation
As the situation evolves, more details are being released about the investigation into Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths. A search warrant affadavit, which could not confirm the cause of death, stated that “the circumstances surrounding the death of the two deceased individuals to be suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation…“Though there were no signs of trauma, there was also no indication of a gas leak, nor was a note found at the scene.
Click here forScreenRant’s coverage of the new details.
Gene Hackman’s Career On The Big Screen
One of the most prolific and prominent actors of his generation,Hackman carved out a strong career on the big screen, starring in everything from blockbusters to independent dramas. Hackman shot to global prominence for his starring role as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in William Friedkin’s action thriller,The French Connection, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. He gained further acclaim acting in movies includingThe Poseidon Adventure, andThe Conversation, as well asportraying Lex Luthor inSuperman.
Hackman was nominated for a total of five Oscars across four decades: for Best Supporting Actor inBonnie & Clyde(1967),I Never Sang For My Father(1970), andUnforgiven(1992), and for Best Actor inThe French Connection(1971) andMississippi Burning(1988).
Hackman worked consistently through the ’80s and ’90s, starring in acclaimed movies likeGet Shorty,Under Fire,The Firm,Crimson Tide, andEnemy of the State. He won his second Oscar, this time for Best Supporting Actor, for his villainous role as ‘Little Bill’ Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s epic revisionist Western masterpieceUnforgiven. One of his most enduring roles, playing Royal Tenenbaum in Wes Anderson’s 2001 movieThe Royal Tenenbaums, was also one of his last, as he retired from acting after 2004’sWelcome to Mooseport.
Gene Hackman Leaves A Lasting Legacy As An All-Time Hollywood Great
After more than two decades sinceHackman retired from acting, his status as a Hollywood icon has only grown. His four-decade filmography is littered with works that continue to be revisited, and new audiences continue to be struck by his gravitas, charisma, and screen presence, which were rarely matched. The film world has lost a true great withHackman’s passing, but he has left a body of work any actor would be proud of, including some of the most enduring characters in cinema history.
