Oscar winner Gene Hackman and wife found dead in Santa Fe home

Gene Hackman, a two-time Oscar winner, and wife Betsy Arakawa both found dead in their $3.8million Santa Fe home.

The couple, who had been married since 1991, were found on Wednesday morning along with their dog, but according to the police, the exact time of their passing remains unknown. The office of Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said no foul play is suspected at this point.

The cause of death is unknown.

“All I can say is that we’re in the middle of a preliminary death investigation, waiting on approval of a search warrant,” the sheriff told the Santa Fe New Mexican. According to the publication, the statement was released before the authorities had positively identified the couple. “I want to assure the community and neighborhood that there’s no immediate danger to anyone.”

Gene Hackman at the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards, January 19, 2003. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Over the course of his brilliant Hollywood career, Gene Hackman starred in over 70 movies. He won multiple awards, including the coveted Oscar for Best Actor in The French Connection as well as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Little Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven.

Indeed, he was considered to be one of the finest actors of his generation, playing both villains and heroes, in comedies, dramas, and action films. He could literally play every role there was.

Gene Hackman stepped out from the limelight some 20 years ago, retiring from the world of film.

Gene Hackman in The French Connection/ Getty Images

Back in 2009, he told Empire, “The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York.

“The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”

Instead, he turned to fishing, painting, and writing.

Back in March 2024, a photo of the actor and his wife was posted online. It was a rare occasion of the two being spotted out since his retiring.

As tributes came pouring in, Star Trek actor George Takei posted on X that “we have lost one of the true giants of the screen”.

“Gene Hackman could play anyone, and you could feel a whole life behind it,” he wrote. “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.”