The French Connection star, 95, was found dead alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their pet dog at their home in New Mexico on Wednesday (26 February).
“We can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday afternoon at their residence on Sunset Trail,” Santa Fe County said in a statement.
“This is an active investigation – however, at this time we do not believe that foul play was a factor.”
Gene Hackman adopted a dog from a shelter
Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
ackman and Arakawa had reportedly shared their home with two German Shepherds.
Back when the actor was filming The Replacements, two stray dogs wandered onto the set in Baltimore.
He was said to have named the two dogs Gene and Keanu, after his costar Keanu Reeves.
After bringing both to the shelter, Hackman and his wife went on to adopt the one with his shared name.
According to the Daily Mail, shelter Animal Rescue shared a birthday message to the film star last year.
“Happy 94th birthday to our most famous adopter Gene Hackman!! While filming The Replacements in Baltimore in 1999, two stray dogs wandered onto the movie set,” they said.
“Both dogs were transported to us via limousine and the Hackmans came up the following week and adopted one of them. #adoptdontshop.”
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa made a rare public appearance together last year
Hackman and Arakawa pictured in 2003 (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
For the first time in 21 years, the pair were pictured together in public after leaving Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2024.
The two-time Oscar winner held on to his wife’s arm and was using a cane.
Hackman first met Arakawa, from Hawaii, at a fitness centre in LA, where she worked part-time. They started dating in 1984.
He married his first wife Faye Maltese in 1956, going on to divorce her in 1986.
They shared children Leslie Anne, Elizabeth Jean and Christopher Allen.
Hackman has appeared in 79 feature films from 1961 to 2004.
Hackman retired from acting in 2004 (Screen Archives/Getty Images)
He is considered by many to be one of the greatest actors of all time, having picked up two Academy Awards, two BAFTAs, four Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild award.
His two Oscar wins came in the form of Best Actor for The French Connection (1971) and then Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven (1992).
Hackman would retire from acting in 2004 due to health complications.
“The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York,” the actor told Empire in 2009.
“The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”
