Novels, Narration and Heart Health
Gene Hackman, the Hollywood actor known for such roles as Lex Luthor and in The French Connection, has been found dead alongside his wife Betsy Arakawa and one of their dogs at their home in Sante Fe, New Mexico.
The star, aged 95 at the time of his death, was one of the industry’s most celebrated creatives with two Oscars under his belt. Towards the end of his life, Hackman was seldom seen out in public and little was known about his health. He was last photographed with wife Arakawa, 64, on March 28 2024, as the pair held hands outside a restaurant in Santa Fe.
Hackman’s prolific career — including performances in Unforgiven (1992), Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and I Never Sang for My Father (1970) — came to a halt in 2004 after his last film role opposite Ray Romano in Welcome to Mooseport. Hackman was 74 at the time.
The actor reflected on his quiet retirement while promoting his book in 2008, telling Reuters: “I haven’t held a press conference to announce retirement, but yes, I’m not going to act any longer… I’ve been told not to say that over the last few years in case some real wonderful part comes up, but I really don’t want to do it any longer.”
Hackman, who in 1990 underwent an angioplasty (which involves widening narrowed or obstructed arteries and veins), also told Empire in 2004 that his heart problems were a concern when it came to acting. It led him to reassess his career: “The straw that broke the camel’s back was actually a stress test that I took in New York,” he said. “The doctor advised me that my heart wasn’t in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress.”
The same year, during a conversation with Larry King where Hackman was asked if he worries about his health, Hackman explained: “I have the normal fear of passing away. I guess we all think about that, especially [as] you get to be a certain age.” Adding that he hoped his wife and family were “taken care of” in the event of his passing, Hackman also said: “Other than that I don’t have a lot of fears.”
Some years later, in a GQ interview in 2011, the star said he could be tempted out of retirement — if he could make the project in his own home. Though in 2016 and 2017, he lent his voice to narrate two documentaries on the U.S. Marine Corps: The Unknown Flag Raiser of Iwo Jima and We, the Marines, respectively.
In his final years, Hackman appeared to be an avid novelist. With undersea archaeologist Daniel Lenihan, Hackman wrote three historical fiction novels: Wake of the Perdido Star (1999), Justice for None (2004) and Escape from Andersonville (2008). His first solo piece of work was set in the Old West, Payback at Morning Peak, released in 2011. His last novel Pursuit, a police thriller, came out in 2013.
Tributes have poured in since the confirmation of Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths on Thursday. The likes of Francis Ford Coppola, Viola Davis, Antonio Banderas and Paul Feig have expressed their shock and sadness. Coppola, who directed Hackman in 1974’s The Conversation, wrote on Instagram: “The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution.”
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the deaths of the couple. Though they at first stated it was believed foul play was not a factor, Sheriff Adan Mendoza later told TMZ they aren’t ruling anything out at this point. No cause of death has yet been revealed.
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