The youths don’t know, but Gene Hackman was one of the greatest actors ever and a true American classic. He came up around the same time as Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall (two of his closest friends) and he was beloved by colleagues and directors across the board. There never was one “Gene Hackman character” – he could do anything, from paranoid conspiracists to evil presidents to romantic leading men to cowboys, cops and military men. He was even a gifted comedian to boot. Hackman retired from acting two decades ago, and he lived quietly in New Mexico with his wife and dog. He has passed away at the age of 95. His wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, has passed away as well.
Gene Hackman, who never fit the mold of a Hollywood movie star, but who became one all the same, playing seemingly ordinary characters with deceptive subtlety, intensity and often charm in some of the most noted films of the 1970s and ’80s, has died, the authorities in New Mexico said on Thursday. He was 95.
Mr. Hackman and his wife were found dead on Wednesday afternoon at a home in Santa Fe., N.M., where they had been living, according to a statement from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff’s deputies found the bodies of Mr. Hackman; his wife, Betsy Arakawa, 64; and a dog, according to the statement, which said that foul play was not suspected.
Mr. Hackman was nominated for five Academy Awards and won two during a 40-year career in which he appeared in films seen and remembered by millions, among them “Bonnie and Clyde,” “The French Connection,” “The Poseidon Adventure,” “Mississippi Burning,” “Unforgiven,” “Superman,” “Hoosiers” and “The Royal Tenenbaums.”
Sheriff Adan Mendoza also told the media that the family dog died in the house as well, but “there was no immediate indication of foul play in the deaths” and the sheriff also did not indicate anything about the cause of death. My God. Gene and Betsy had been married for 33 years, and Gene is survived by his three adult children from his first marriage. I might have to watch The Royal Tenenbaums tonight in his honor. Two of my favorite stories about Hackman: he said “no” to The Royal Tenenbaums several times because he didn’t like the character of Royal, so Wes Anderson rewrote it with Gene’s notes and Gene fleshed it out even more and basically bullied Anderson into letting him go buckwild in that role. Gene also said no to his old friend Clint Eastwood when Eastwood approached him about Unforgiven and Clint basically had to beg him to do it (Hackman won an Oscar for it).
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