Gene Hackman, an Oscar winner, and his wife were discovered dead in their Santa Fe home

On Wednesday afternoon, two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, a classical pianist, were discovered dead in their Santa Fe Summit, Santa Fe, New Mexico, home. There was no sign of foul play when the couple and their dog were discovered dead, according to Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza.

Mendoza did not specify when the pair may have died or give a cause of death. Since 1991, Hackman and Arakawa had been wed. Although the former celebrated his 95th birthday in late January, some fans expressed concern about his appearance after a public sighting last year.

Hackman created a tremendous body of work in Hollywood over the course of four incredible decades. In the late 2000s, the writer and actor quietly ended his career in front of the cameras. He took this action after implying in a Larry King interview from 2004 that he had no upcoming productions planned.

Over the course of his career, the actor appeared in more than 70 films. His portrayal of Little Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven earned him Best Supporting Actor and the coveted Oscar for Best Actor in The French Connection, among other honours.

Hackman revealed in 2009 that a stress test that worried his doctors was the cause of his decision to move away from the glamour of Hollywood. He told Empire, “A stress test I took in New York was actually the straw that broke the camel’s back.” “The doctor told me that I shouldn’t be putting any stress on my heart because it wasn’t in the right condition.”

With his retirement, Hackman focused on less demanding pursuits like writing, painting, and fishing. Regarding writing, he stated: “I find it to be quite soothing.” Although I don’t consider myself a brilliant writer, I do love the writing process. He went on to say, “It’s one you can kind of manage, because you’re sitting there by yourself, instead of having ninety people waiting for you to entertain them.”

Hackman’s three children from his late ex-wife, Faye Maltese, are Christopher, Elizabeth Jean, and Leslie Anne. We send our condolences to the family of Betsy Arakawa and the late great Gene Hackman.