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By James Bickerton
News Reporter
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The bodies of Hollywood icon Gene Hackman, 95, his 63-year-old wife Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were discovered by police on Wednesday at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
While an official cause of death has not yet been determined, authorities have stated that foul play is not suspected.
Discovery of Hackman and Arakawa
According to a statement provided to Newsweek by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, police deputies were dispatched to Hackman's address on Old Sunset Trail, in Hyde Park, at around 1:45 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
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Santa Fe County Sheriff's public information officer Denise Avila told reporters that officers were sent to the property after receiving a call from a concerned neighbor.
They discovered Hackman, Arakawa and their dog dead inside the property.
No Signs of Foul Play
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office told Newsweek that "foul play is not suspected as a factor in these deaths at this time" but noted the "exact cause of death has not been determined."
Medical Examiner's Investigation
Under New Mexico state law a medical examiner's investigation is required into any death that occurs under certain conditions, including those that are violent, suspected of involving intoxicants or that "occurs suddenly and unexpectedly, that is, when the person has not been under medical care for significant heart, lung or other disease."
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Health Concerns
Hackman retired from acting in 2004 after receiving a health warning from his doctor, commenting: "The business for me is very stressful."
Speaking to British film magazine Empire in 2009, he said: "The straw that broke the camel's back was actually a stress test that I took in New York. The doctor advised me that my heart wasn't in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress."
He added: "The business part of show business is kinda wicked. You jump from trying to be a sponge, if you will—in terms of input from other actors and the director and everything that's surrounding you—you jump from that to a luncheon meeting with an agent and a producer on another film. It's kind of a frying pan. It was jarring, and at my age and with my health, I decided I didn't want to do that any longer."
In 1990, Hackman was hospitalized after suffering from chest pains. He had a balloon catheter inserted into one of his arteries, which had become dangerously narrow.
In 2020, Closer magazine cited a source close to Hackman who said "his health is good" and said the actor "bicycles [and] does yard work."
An Oscar Winner
Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California, in 1930 and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at just 16. Following military service, he turned to acting, with a breakout role in 1967 as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde.
He won two Oscars: the Best Actor award for his role in the 1971 film The French Connection and the Best Supporting Actor prize in 1993 for Unforgiven.
Hackman married Arakawa, a classically trained pianist, in 1991. The last reported public appearance from the couple was in March 2024, when the New York Post said they were seen dining at Pappadeaux's Seafood Kitchen in Santa Fe.
Before marrying Arakawa, Hackman had three children with his first wife, Faye Maltese, to whom he was married from 1956 to 1986: son Christopher Allen and daughters Elizabeth Jean and Leslie Anne.
What People Are Saying
Francis Ford Coppola, a filmmaker with whom Hackman worked for the 1974 movie The Conversation, on Threads: "The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution."
Star Trek actor George Takei, on Threads: "We have lost one of the true giants of the screen. Gene Hackman could play anyone, and you could feel a whole life behind it. He could be everyone and no one, a towering presence or an everyday Joe. That's how powerful an actor he was. He will be missed, but his work will live on forever."
What Happens Next
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office and other agencies are continuing to investigate Hackman and Arakawa's cause of death.
Update and Correction 02/27/25, 6:50 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and corrected to state that Arakawa was 63, according to the Associated Press, not 64.
Update 02/27/25, 10:07 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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