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On Wednesday, February 26, Oscar winner Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were discovered dead inside their Santa Fe, New Mexico, residence. Hackman was 95 years old. His spouse was sixty-three.
In a statement to Us Weekly on Thursday, February 27, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office stated that Gene Hackman, 95, his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, and a dog were discovered dead at an address on Old Sunset Trail in Hyde Park on February 26, 2025, at around 1:45 p.m.
Although [the] precise cause of death has not yet been established, foul play is not now believed as a contributing factor in those deaths. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office is actively and continuously investigating this,” the message went on to say.
Just after midnight local time on Thursday, the Santa Fe New Mexican broke the story first, quoting Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza as confirmation.
On Thursday, Hackman’s family verified the information. In a statement to Us, Elizabeth, Leslie, and Annie Hackman wrote, “We regret to inform you of the passing of our father, Gene Hackman, and his wife, Betsy.” For us, he was always just Dad and Grandpa, but millions of people throughout the world adored and revered him for his outstanding performing career. We are heartbroken by the passing and will truly miss him.
According to ABC News, after a neighbor had concerns about Hackman and Arakawa’s safety, authorities conducted a welfare check on Wednesday and discovered both dead.
Before leaving the spotlight, Hackman earned praise for his parts in movies like Unforgiven and The French Connection.
Hackman, who was born in January 1930 in San Bernadino, California, spent five years in the marines and attended the University of Illinois before dropping out to pursue acting at the Pasadena Playhouse in California. After that, he worked in the New York stage before making his Broadway debut in Any Wednesday in 1964. Later that year, he landed a part in Lilith, which enabled him make his film debut.
As his film career took off, Hackman received nominations for two Academy Awards: I Never Sang for My Father in 1970 and Bonnie and Clyde in 1967. Later, in 1971’s The French Connection, he portrayed detective Popeye Doyle and earned his first Oscar. With roles in Night Moves (1975), Reds (1981), Hoosiers (1986), No Way Out (1987), and Mississippi Burning (1988) (for which he was nominated for another Oscar), Hackman rose to prominence as a leading man. His parts in Superman (1978) and Young Frankenstein (1974) further demonstrated his versatility.
Hackman’s performance as Little Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 western Unforgiven earned him a second Academy Award. He went on to star in Get Shorty (1995), Enemy of the State (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Runaway Jury (2003), and Welcome to Mooseport (2004).
