Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman was found dead in his Santa Fe home. His wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were also found deceased.
Hackman was 95. Arakawa was 63. Authorities say no foul play is suspected, but the cause of death is unknown. An investigation is underway.
"On February 26, 2025, at approximately 1:45 p.m., 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," the Santa Fe County Sheriff's office stated.
Hackman was a Hollywood legend. He won Oscars for The French Connection and Unforgiven. His career spanned decades, with roles as heroes, villains, and everything in between.
He starred in Bonnie and Clyde and brought humor to Young Frankenstein. He played Lex Luthor in Superman and the eccentric patriarch in The Royal Tenenbaums.
Francis Ford Coppola mourned his loss. "The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration," he wrote. "Gene Hackman, a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity."
Born in 1930 in San Bernardino, California, Hackman grew up in Danville, Illinois. His father, a pressman, was abusive and eventually abandoned the family. Movies became Gene’s escape, with stars like Errol Flynn and James Cagney as his childhood heroes.
At 16, he lied about his age to join the Marines. He served from 1947 to 1952 as a radio operator and journalist. He was stationed in China, where he helped destroy Japanese military equipment to keep it out of communist hands.
Hackman earned a high school diploma in the Marines. He studied journalism at the University of Illinois but dropped out. He pursued radio, then painting, then acting. The Pasadena Playhouse changed his life.
In New York, he worked odd jobs while chasing acting dreams. His big break came in I Never Sang for My Father in 1970. More roles followed, cementing his status as one of Hollywood’s finest.
Hackman married twice. He had three children with his first wife, Fay Maltese, before their divorce. In 1991, he married Betsy Arakawa, his devoted partner until their deaths.
Outside acting, Hackman loved painting, flying, and racing. Later in life, he turned to writing. He lived quietly in Santa Fe, surrounded by the Colorado Rockies.
"We have lost one of the true giants of the screen," Star Trek actor George Takei wrote. "Gene Hackman could play anyone. He will be missed, but his work will live on forever."