Movie fans woke up on Thursday morning to news that beloved actor Gene Hackman had passed away.
The prolific, Oscar-winning actor was found dead alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday afternoon. Hackman was 95. Arakawa, a classical pianist, was 63.
What do we know about Gene Hackman’s death?
The bodies of Hackman, Arakawa and their dog were found around 1:43 p.m. on Wednesday, when police officers performed a welfare check on their home, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities initially did not provide a cause of death, and said there was no immediate indication of foul play.
On Thursday afternoon, officials released a search warrant affidavit stating that there were “no immediate signs or indications of blunt force trauma,” but that the circumstances around the deaths are “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”
Hackman’s body was found in the home’s mud room, while Arakawa was found in a bathroom next to a space heater. There was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on a countertop near Arakawa.
The affidavit, which was viewed by the Star, said that two deputies found the home’s front door ajar, but “did not observe any signs of forced entry.” A sheriff’s detective wrote that there were “no obvious signs of a gas leak,” but wrote that people exposed to gas leaks or carbon monoxide might not show signs of poisoning.
It also noted that Arakawa showed “obvious signs of death, body decomposition, bloating in her face and mummification in both hands and feet.” Hackman’s body also showed “obvious signs of death, similar and consistent” to Arakawa.
Who is Gene Hackman?
Eugene Allen Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California, and grew up in Danville, Illinois. He moved back to California in the mid-1960s to pursue an acting career, and began appearing in minor roles on television.
Hackman’s breakout came when he was cast at the age of 35 for “Bonnie and Clyde,” a film that earned him his first Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor.
A frequent and versatile presence onscreen, known for his often gruff demeanour, he starred in dozens of films until his retirement in his mid-70s. Among his best known films were “The French Connection” and “Unforgiven,” a breakout performance in “Bonnie and Clyde,” a classic bit of farce in “Young Frankenstein,” a turn as the comic-book villain Lex Luthor in “Superman” and the title character in Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums.”
“The thing about Gene Hackman is he really could do it all,” critic Robert Daniels wrote on X. “The second you see him in Robert Rossen’s ‘Lilith,’ his first credited film part, you knew he was going to be great. And he just remained great.”
Although self-effacing and unfashionable, Hackman held special status within Hollywood — heir to Spencer Tracy as an everyman, actor’s actor, curmudgeon and reluctant celebrity. He embodied the ethos of doing his job, doing it very well, and letting others worry about his image. Beyond the obligatory appearances at awards ceremonies, he was rarely seen on the social circuit and made no secret of his disdain for the business side of show business.
Hackman married Faye Maltese in 1956. They had one son and two daughters. The couple divorced in 1986. Hackman and Arakawa married in 1991.
Celebrities and filmmakers remember ‘inspiring and magnificent’ actor
“The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration,” wrote director Francis Ford Coppola on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself with Hackman on a film set. “Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution.”
Hackman starred in Coppola’s 1974 neo-noir mystery “The Conversation,” which earned three Academy Award nominations.
Filmmaker and actor Clint Eastwood, who worked alongside Hackman in 1992’s “Unforgiven,” issued a statement to Variety: “There was no finer actor than Gene. Intense and instinctive. Never a false note. He was also a dear friend whom I will miss very much.”
Actor Viola Davis also shared a tribute on Instagram, describing Hackman as “tough yet vulnerable.”
“Loved you in everything!” Davis wrote in a caption. “You were one of the greats. God bless those who loved you. Rest well, sir.”
Actor Nathan Lane, who co-starred in the 1996 comedy “The Birdcage” called Hackman his “favourite actor.”
“Getting to watch him up close, it was easy to see why he was one of our greatest,” Lane wrote in a statement shared with Variety. “You could never catch him acting. Simple and true, thoughtful and soulful, with just a hint of danger. He was as brilliant in comedy as he was in drama and thankfully his film legacy will live on forever. It was a tremendous privilege to get to share the screen with him and remains one of my fondest memories.”
Gene was my favorite actor, as I think I told him every day we worked together. Getting to watch him up close, it was easy to see why he was one of our greatest. You could never catch him acting. Simple and true, thoughtful and soulful, with just a hint of danger. He was as brilliant in comedy as he was in drama and thankfully his film legacy will live on forever. It was a tremendous privilege to get to share the screen with him and remains one of my fondest memories. Rest in peace, Mr. Hackman.
“I am crushed by the sudden deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa (and their dog),” Oscar-nominated actor Josh Brolin shared on Instagram. “He was always one of my favorites. Not many who beat to their own drums like he did.”
“We have lost one of the true giants of the screen,” Star Trek actor George Takei wrote on X. “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.”
Hackman received five Oscar nominations for his acting. He won best actor in 1972 for “The French Connection” and best supporting actor in 1993 for “Unforgiven.”
Filmmakers Edgar Wright and Paul Feig also posted tributes on X.
Here’s what others are sharing on social media:
With files from the Associated Press.
