The county sheriff discovered the bodies of the Oscar-winning actor and pianist Betsy Arakawa at their home in New Mexico.
Two-time Oscar winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, a classical pianist, were found dead on Wednesday in their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, police have said, as cited by local media.
The legendary actor, known for his roles in classic movies such as ‘The French Connection’, ‘Unforgiven’, ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’, and the original ‘Superman’, was widely regarded as one of Hollywood’s most respected performers.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza stated on Thursday that the couple and their dog were found dead, and there was no immediate evidence of foul play, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. However, the official added that the investigation into the deaths is ongoing.
Born in 1930 in California, Hackman began his acting career in the early 1960s. He first success came when he played the leading role in the Broadway play Any Wednesday. Following the iconic movie ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ in 1967, for which he was nominated for his first Oscar, Hackman was rarely out of work.
Hackman won two Academy Awards over his acting career spanning more than four decades: Best Actor for portraying Jimmy ‘Popeye’ Doyle in William Friedkin’s 1971 action thriller ‘The French Connection’ and Best Supporting Actor for his role as the antagonistic sheriff in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 Western ‘Unforgiven’. During his lengthy career, the former US Marine appeared in more than 80 movies, as well as on television and stage.
The actor retired from the screen in 2004, and would only return as the narrator for several documentaries about the Marines. He married Betsy Arakawa in 1991. The couple lived outside Santa Fe. Hackman had three children with his late ex-wife, Faye Maltese, who died in 2017.
