[Image: People / Facebook]
Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Their cause of death has not been confirmed, but it is not believed to be foul play, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Denise Womack-Avila told CNN on Thursday morning.
Police responded to a welfare check request at the home around 1:45 PM Wednesday and found Hackman, Arakawa and a dog deceased. An investigation is ongoing, police said.
BREAKING: Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife were found dead in their New Mexico home Wednesday, authorities said. https://t.co/h3vD8svxwX
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 27, 2025
Fellow celebrities and fans have begun sharing tributes on social media for the late Hollywood legend.
Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola, who worked with Hackman in “The Conversation,” posted on Threads: “The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration.”
“A great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution.”
Actor and writer George Takei called Hackman “one of the true giants of the screen,” in a social media post.
“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. He will be missed, but his work will live on forever.”
He retired at 74 and lived in Santa Fe in recent decades with Arakawa, a former classical pianist, largely staying out of the public eye. He had three children, whom he shared with his late ex-wife, Faye Maltese, who died in 2017.
[Source: CNN]
